A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing

by Lawrence Krauss

Alternatively, we could even imagine an antimatter universe in which all of the particles that make up the stars and galaxies were replaced with their antiparticles. Such a universe would appear to be almost identical to the one we live in. Observers in such a universe (themselves made of antimatter) would no doubt call what we call antimatter as matter. The name is arbitrary. However, if our universe began sensibly, with equal amounts of matter and antimatter, and stayed that way, we wouldn’t be around to ask “Why?” or “How?” This is because all particles of matter would have annihilated with all particles of antimatter in the early universe, leaving nothing but pure radiation. No matter or antimatter would be left over to make up stars, or galaxies, or to make up lovers or antilovers who might otherwise one day gaze out and be aroused by the spectacle of the night sky in each other’s arms. No drama. History would consist of emptiness, a radiation bath that would slowly cool, leading ultimately to a cold, dark, bleak universe. Nothingness would reign supreme.