4.7 Other Ways of Knowing about the Universe

Creation Myths

Throughout history there have been many questions about the creation and arrangement of the universe. After all, the answers to these questions provide the basis for explaining everything we know. Understanding the universe allows us to make sense of the world that we live in, but the attempt to understand it and the underlying nature of all things is not an easy task. One of the oldest theories about where it all began suggests that a god exists beyond the physical world and that it was this god who created the universe. This theory is based on the idea that something beyond our comprehension must have been responsible for the beginning of everything. Theories such as these are often based on the assumption that the universe cannot have 'come out of nothing'. Today, theories stating that Earth and its life forms were created by a God are referred to as creationism. Other theories suggest that there was no creation or beginning of the universe and that the universe 'just is'. Different theories about the origin of the universe form the basis for many religious practices as well as atheistic (non-religious) viewpoints held by different people.