Self-study
P1
Physicists posit that at first our universe was infinitesimally small and infinitely hot and dense. ██ ████ █████████ █ ██████ ██ █████████ ██████ ███████ █████████ ████ ███ ██████ ███ ██ ███ █████ █████████ ██ ██████ ███ █████
Intro topic ·
Big Bang
Expansion from small, dense, hot universe to larger, cooler universe
P2
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C and C's hypothesis ·
Big Bang is a recurring event
Support for hypothesis ·
Multiverse theory
Earlier Big Bangs have occurred outside of the known universe
P3
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Introduce entropy ·
Idea that disorder increases over time
Illustration of entropy ·
Randomly moving objects in room
Room will tend toward disorder each time an object is moved
P4
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Relevance of entropy to Big Bang ·
Raises questions about pre-Big Bang universe
If the universe tends toward disorder, how did it ever reach its starting state as small and dense in the first place? Seems too orderly, not random
C and C's hypothesis ·
Most likely starting state for universe is empty space
In other words, it's unlikely that the universe would have started as small and dense purely by chance
P5
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G and V's hypothesis ·
Seemingly empty space can create tiny big bangs
C and C's hypothesis ·
Our Big Bang is was a kind of "tiny big bang" in an even larger multiverse
P6
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Significance of hypothesis ·
Reconciles Big Bang theory with entropy
The larger multiverse can be disordered, random, and full of empty space while still containing pockets of matter and energy for big bangs
Passage Style
Phenomenon-hypothesis (RC)
Single position
22.
The author’s stance toward Carroll ███ ████████ ██████ ██ ████ ██████████ █████████████ ██ ████ ██
a
an ardent adversary
Unsupported. The author never says anything negative about Carroll and Chen’s theory, so we can’t say that the author’s attitude is adversarial.
b
a dismissive critic
Unsupported. The author never says anything negative about Carroll and Chen’s theory, so we can’t say that the author’s attitude is critical.
c
a disinterested skeptic
Unsupported. The author never says anything that calls Carroll and Chen’s theory into question, so we can’t say that the author’s attitude is skeptical.
d
a sympathetic reporter
This is the author’s attitude. The author tends to objectively describe Carroll and Chen’s theory, and the author never says anything negative about the theory, so we can describe the author as a “sympathetic reporter.”
e
a zealous proponent
The author’s tone throughout the passage is relatively neutral. “Zealous” is too strong to describe the author’s attitude.