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【Maintaining Energy Balance Part I : Cosmic Part 维持能量的平衡上编-宇宙编】
Logic: Quantum fluctuations nurture possibilities; the inflaton field accumulates potential energy for transformation. The Eastern concept of "ex nihilo creation" and the Western concept of the "quantum vacuum" converge from different paths, revealing that the essence of the universe is the art of energy and balance. As Stephen Hawking wrote in The Grand Design: "The universe does not need a creator; it can spontaneously come into existence, requiring only the laws of physics and the contingencies of quantum fluctuations." (As for whether our universe has a creator, there is no definitive answer to this question yet.) And this birth is precisely the epic beginning of energy transitioning from absolute symmetry to dynamic balance.
As the I Ching says: "Things reverse when they reach their extreme." When the universe reaches a certain limit, and the singularity reaches its extreme, the repulsive force breaks through the limit of gravitational balance, and the Big Bang begins.
Quantum vacuum fluctuations: According to quantum field theory, random generation and annihilation of "virtual particle pairs" (borrowing energy for a brief existence) occur in the vacuum. Such fluctuations may trigger violent disturbances in the structure of spacetime at the Planck scale (10⁻⁴³ seconds), becoming the "trigger" of the Big Bang.
Ex nihilo creation: The total energy of the universe may be zero — the positive energy of matter and the negative energy of gravitational potential cancel each other out (as in Lawrence Krauss's theory). Quantum fluctuations allow a "zero-energy universe" to spontaneously emerge. However, the universe cannot be absolutely balanced; under the influence of fields, the flow of energy anywhere under specific conditions can cause earth-shattering changes in the universe.
Inflation theory: A hypothetical scalar field (the inflaton field) exists in a high-energy state in the very early universe. Its potential energy drives exponential expansion of spacetime, increasing the volume by a factor of 10²⁶ within 10⁻³⁶ seconds. The energy of the inflaton field gradually decays, transforming into thermal radiation and elementary particles (i.e., the "fireball" of the Big Bang), marking the beginning of the classical Big Bang phase.
General relativity prediction: Einstein's equations lead to a universe originating from an infinitely dense, hot singularity, but in this state gravity and quantum effects coexist, and current theories break down.
Eastern philosophy: The universe is seen as an endless cycle. The Hindu concept of kalpa states that the universe undergoes infinite cycles of creation (Brahma's day) and destruction (Brahma's night); the Big Bang is merely the beginning of a new cycle. Daoism's "transformation of qi" (气化)...
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