In the beginning there was a Big Bang ...

[Wiccan_Child]

Do you still read this thread you started? Don't be surprised, every thread in this forum looks like this one. A very interesting feature.

Theoretical physics does explore the possibility before the big bang. The ideas could be very interesting to theologians.

I like the one where two massive, multi-dimensional branes collide, and the point of collision was the start of what we call the Big Bang. As rubber sheets do, it rippled out: we are that ripple. The universe expands only insofar as it's a ripple on a sheet.

Presumably, there's a parallel universe somewhere that is on the other sheet. Hello DC-Marvel crossover...

 

[PhilosophicalBluster]

I like the one where two massive, multi-dimensional branes collide, and the point of collision was the start of what we call the Big Bang. As rubber sheets do, it rippled out: we are that ripple. The universe expands only insofar as it's a ripple on a sheet.

*High fives for M theory*

 

[BananaSlug]

The "Big Rip" hypothesis only works if the dark energy in the universe is pushing more strongly than what gravity can hold together.
If nothing is capable of escaping the gravitational singularity of a black hole can dark energy escape the singularity? Is a black hole actually consuming the spacetime "fabric"? One would think that the more stellar black holes develop as the universe becomes older the multiple gravitational singularities would start to pull the fabric back together.
Like if the universe is a giant sheet of latex and the black holes are vacuum tubes underneath the latex. The more tubes added to the latex it becomes harder to stretch. Eventually the force of the tubes snaps the rubber and it all comes back together.

Of course, once we actually find out what dark energy is, the end of the universe will become more apparent. As you can see, I do favor the Cyclic Universe (because it seems so cool).