this movie is purported to be the basis for the steady state theory of cosmology. i haven't seen it. does someone who has mind telling me what they make of it?
thanks
I don't know the "steady state theoary of cosmology," but having seen the movie four or 5 times, I'd gave to say: Don't be surprised if it does support it...
Don't wanna spoil the movie for you!
Yes, this is where the idea for the steady state universe was concieved by hoyle, bondi and gold.
They had the idea of an evolving yet unchanging universe after watching the film, making them believe that although change goes on in the universe it always remains in the same state, same as the film which ends up just as it started.
This conflicts with the big bang theory, which gives a beginning and an end to the universe, the steady state says that the universe is infinite and always has been.
And it's also different from the Static Model of the universe. An infinite universe that doesn't expand or contract. The Steady State Model stated that the universe does expand (to account for the correct equations of general relativity.... and the discoveries of Edwin Hubble) but an expanding universe cannot be infinite and still meet the demands of the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics (leading to 'heat death'). So Bondi, Gold and Hoyle (from seeing this movie) stated that the universe can still be infinite (hoping to circumvent the consequence of the Big Bang Theory - a sigularity/beginning of time) but that as the universe expands, new matter is created to 'fill the gaps' so that an average density of matter for the universe remains the same.
However, Gold was more driven by his philosophy than science. He wanted a universe that was non-linear (one that doesn't begin at a particular point) and one that was ultimately cyclic or infinite (because of demanding questions that arise when one states that the universe began at a particular point).
After the Steady State model failed independent proof, Gold put forth the possibility of what he thought was a truly cyclic universe: a time-symmetric universe. Richard Tolman had shown the consequences of a universe that expands and collapses ad infinitum. Each cycle of expansion will get bigger and last longer before it collapses back - this being a consequence again for the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. A universe that is infinite in this scenario will have to eventually hit a period that it expands infinitely.... therefore not being an actual infinite universe.
Gold believed that during the collapse not only matter collapses back, but so does time and the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. So that once the moment of maximum expansion is hit the universe will start to revert back, time and the 2nd Law included. Like running a tape in reverse. A consequence of this is that humans, during this collapse phase, would not remember the past but the future. This is just one of many paradoxes that would occur if this were the case.
But this ultimately proved to be wrong too. If the time-symmetric modle were correct radio antennas should be able to not only send 'retarded'(just the term used for an outflowing wave) signals, but receive 'advanced' radio signals (in flowing wave). If Gold were correct, during the collapse the arrow of time would change and radio antenna should be able to pick up these 'advanced' radio signals (a good way to describe these waves would be radio signals from the future). At our present period of expansion there should, if this model were correct, be some advanced signals.... but there are none.