An Eternal & Dynamic Universe

One of the most fundamental questions in modern physics is why concepts such as antimatter, dark energy, dark matter, and special particles like the Higgs Boson must be invoked to explain the universe and to strive toward a Grand Unified Theory of Everything. What if, instead, these entities do not exist as currently understood or invoked? What if a simpler explanation—an eternal, dynamic universe—accounts for all observations without the need for such specific constructs?

If we look around at nature, we see that everything is recycled. The humans who existed a thousand years ago have had their bodies returned to the earth, becoming part of trees, which bear fruit, which in turn becomes food for animals, and eventually sustains other humans. The cycle continues indefinitely. In the same way, stars that go supernova or entire galaxies that die must transform, with their energy and matter giving birth to new stars and galaxies elsewhere. This aligns with the law of conservation of energy and matter: energy is neither created nor destroyed but only changes form, and matter is neither created nor destroyed but only changes shape, form, and state.

The universe appears to be a dynamic system, one where nothing is static or stationary. Everything is continuously changing form, and energy is constantly transferring from one state to another. The cosmos is in perpetual motion, and nothing is ever at rest. When something is at rest, it tends to stagnate, decompose, or degrade. Thus, the cosmos is inherently dynamic. What we refer to as 'time' is the measurement of these dynamics—the continual aging of things, the unending sequence of events, and the eternal shaping and unfolding of the universe. When we say "time never stops," we mean that these processes of change and transformation are perpetual. Even in moments of apparent stillness, such as a monk in deep meditation, there is the continuous arising and dissolution of thoughts, memories, and experiences.

In this view, everything in existence is in motion—nothing is at rest, not even our consciousness. This perpetual motion and transformation are fundamental properties of the universe, making it a dynamic system in which everything is interrelated and interconnected. Day follows night, and night follows day in an endless cycle that no scientific endeavor can halt or break. Time, then, is the manifestation of this unceasing movement.

Even what we call 'empty space' or vacuum is not truly 'nothing.' Instead, it is a vast potential from which everything arises and into which everything returns. Empty space acts as a recycling ground where the matter and energy from dead stars and galaxies reassemble, giving birth to new stars and galaxies elsewhere. The universe may or may not be infinite, but it is difficult to conceive of it as anything other than eternal. The universe's constant flux, motion, and dynamic progression perpetually give rise to 'time,' and within this ever-changing space, all matter and energy are recycled.

Even if we cannot conclusively prove that the universe can arise from nothing (or empty space), space itself serves as a medium for all creation and recreation—a platform for all matter and energy to assemble, disassemble, and reform. Space is extraordinary, enabling the entire universe of light, matter, and energy to exist. Unless we can completely annihilate matter and energy into absolute nothingness, there's no reason to believe that new galaxies won't be formed from the remnants of the old. 

So, is the universe finite or infinite? We do not know. But is the universe eternal? It seems it must be, unless one can prove how time itself began, or how the universe emerged from a random fluctuation in a singularity, better known as the "Big Bang."

- Anuj Chugh