Creation from Nothing
The phrase “creation from nothing” may mean different things to philosophers, theologians, and physicists. Neither they nor anyone else has ever observed the creation of something from nothing. Some ancient philosophers thought that an entity like the Prime Mover created the universe from pre-existing materials. In that case it would have been clearer to say “made” or “formed” rather than “created.” To theologians “creation from nothing” means that God made all things without recourse to anything except His Own power and wisdom.
Physicists constantly “create” and “annihilate” particles in cyclotrons and linear accelerators. When they talk about particle “creation,” they are talking about the formation of particles from energy, not from nothing. It is more appropriate to say that the particles materialize from energy. When physicists “annihilate” particles, the particles disappear and energy appears in their place. Physicists might better say that the latent energy of certain material particles becomes patent when the particles cause their mutual disappearance.
The proverb in Latin, “ex nihilo nihil fit” means that “from nothing nothing is produced.” Physicists have concluded that the material of the universe is made of energy that materialized soon after the beginning. Closer to the beginning particles and energetic quanta were constantly turning into each other. We have presented arguments suggesting that electromagnetic photons existed before there were material particles, but we can’t say exactly what the conditions were at the beginning.
Physicists constantly “create” and “annihilate” particles in cyclotrons and linear accelerators. When they talk about particle “creation,” they are talking about the formation of particles from energy, not from nothing. It is more appropriate to say that the particles materialize from energy. When physicists “annihilate” particles, the particles disappear and energy appears in their place. Physicists might better say that the latent energy of certain material particles becomes patent when the particles cause their mutual disappearance.
The proverb in Latin, “ex nihilo nihil fit” means that “from nothing nothing is produced.” Physicists have concluded that the material of the universe is made of energy that materialized soon after the beginning. Closer to the beginning particles and energetic quanta were constantly turning into each other. We have presented arguments suggesting that electromagnetic photons existed before there were material particles, but we can’t say exactly what the conditions were at the beginning.
