tobs: universal ground zero\ comments from Bernard Lovell

You probably know, though, that observations with larger telescopes have
since proved otherwise. Our universe contains at least 50,000,000,000
galaxies. We do not mean 50 billion stars-but at least 50 billion galaxies,
each with billions of stars like our sun. Yet it was not the staggering
quantity of huge galaxies that shook scientific beliefs in the 1920's. It
was that they are all in motion.

Astronomers discovered a remarkable fact: When galactic light was passed
through a prism, the light waves were seen to be stretched, indicating
motion away from us at great speed. The more distant a galaxy, the faster it
appeared to be receding. That points to an expanding universe!

Even if we are neither professional astronomers nor amateurs, we can see
that an expanding universe would have profound implications about our
past-and perhaps our personal future too. Something must have started the
process-a force powerful enough to overcome the immense gravity of the
entire universe. You have good reason to ask, 'What could be the source of
such dynamic energy?'

Although most scientists trace the universe back to a very small, dense
beginning (a singularity), we cannot avoid this key issue: "If at some point
in the past, the Universe was once close to a singular state of infinitely
small size and infinite density, we have to ask what was there before and
what was outside the Universe. . . . We have to face the problem of a
Beginning."-Sir Bernard Lovell.