--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nothing in the fact that there was a…" description: "\"Nothing in the fact that there was a first moment in time necessitates that an external something is required to bring the universe about at that momen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/sean-m-carroll-14197_facts_nothing-in-the-fact-that-there-was-a-fir_1094236.jpg" --- # Nothing in the fact that there was a first moment in time… ![“Nothing in the fact that there was a first moment in time necessitates that an external something is required to bring the universe about at that moment.” quote by Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/sean-m-carroll-14197_facts_nothing-in-the-fact-that-there-was-a-fir_1094236.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/sean-m-carroll-14197_facts_nothing-in-the-fact-that-there-was-a-fir_1094236.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9f0/sean-m-carroll-14197_facts_nothing-in-the-fact-that-there-was-a-fir_1094236.jpg) > “Nothing in the fact that there was a first moment in time necessitates that an external something is required to bring the universe about at that moment.” [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The existence of a first moment does not imply a cause; the universe could arise without an external agent. **In simple terms:** First moment may need no cause. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about origins. Themes cosmology philosophy science Mood thoughtful analytical Type scientific philosophical When to use this quote - academic discussions - public talks - science education Key Concepts causality quantum fluctuations Questions to Reflect On - Do you accept uncaused events? - How does this affect your worldview? A Different Perspective It may conflict with intuitive cause‑effect thinking. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bring Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring-universe-2844841/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Moment In Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moment-in-time/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Moments in time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments-in-time/) [Necessitates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessitates-2642594/) [Necessitates External](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/necessitates-external-2844840/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [That moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/that-moment/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Necessitates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-necessitates-2844839/) [Universe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe/) [Universe Moment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universe-moment-2602611/) ## Related quotes > [“When the universe throws you a curveball, just think of it as a cosmic pop quiz. It's like, "Hey, are you paying attention? Let's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/life-is-positive/when-the-universe-throws-you-a-curveball-just-think-of-it-as-a-cosmic/) [Life is Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/life-is-positive/) > [“Good necessitates evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-leckie/good-necessitates-evil/) [Ann Leckie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-leckie/) > [“Success necessitates sacrifice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/habeeb-akande/success-necessitates-sacrifice/) [Habeeb Akande](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/habeeb-akande/) > [Without God upholding the universe from moment to moment, nothing could continue to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-c-sproul/without-god-upholding-the-universe-from-moment-to-moment-nothing/) [R. C. Sproul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-c-sproul/) > [There are things that I would say that you could call an instant of time; or better, a now. As we live we seem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-barbour/there-are-things-that-i-would-say-that-you-could-call-an-instant-of/) [Julian Barbour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-barbour/) > [“I thought, There is nowhere else in the universe I would rather be at this moment. I could count the places I would not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-sheffield/i-thought-there-is-nowhere-else-in-the-universe-i-would-rather-be-at-2/) [Rob Sheffield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-sheffield/) > [Always be open to new beginnings. To the universe, every moment is the start of the next big thing in your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/always-be-open-to-new-beginnings-to-the-universe-every-moment-is-the/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) > [Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again And what do we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/each-second-we-live-is-a-new-and-unique-moment-of-the-universe-a-2/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [The moment you understand the whole Universe, is the moment you slightly begin to understand the way God's mind works](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hawking/the-moment-you-understand-the-whole-universe-is-the-moment-you/) [Stephen Hawking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hawking/) > [What is happening, I think, it's really bigger than psychedelics, it's bigger than human evolution. We are not making the waves in this ocean.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terence-mckenna/what-is-happening-i-think-it-s-really-bigger-than-psychedelics-it-s/) [Terence McKenna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terence-mckenna/) > [Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe; a moment that never was before and never will be again.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pablo-casals/each-second-we-live-is-a-new-and-unique-moment-of-the-universe-a/) [Pablo Casals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pablo-casals/) > [“Places are people as well as rocks, trees and buildings. Places are moments in time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-j-dalton/places-are-people-as-well-as-rocks-trees-and-buildings-places-are/) [A.J. Dalton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-j-dalton/) > [We're prepared, and we've done everything we can to prepare for this moment in time. That's what confidence is all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-fernandez/we-re-prepared-and-we-ve-done-everything-we-can-to-prepare-for-this/) [Lisa Fernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-fernandez/) > [More than simply capturing brief moments in time, MixBit helps people bring stories to life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-hurley/more-than-simply-capturing-brief-moments-in-time-mixbit-helps-people/) [Chad Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-hurley/) > [No, every album is something like a snapshot. It only shows one moment in time. It shows what we feel and think right at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damon-albarn/no-every-album-is-something-like-a-snapshot-it-only-shows-one-moment/) [Damon Albarn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damon-albarn/) ## More by Sean M. Carroll > [I'm a big believer that science is part of a larger cultural thing. Science is not all by itself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/i-m-a-big-believer-that-science-is-part-of-a-larger-cultural-thing/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [One of the tragedies of our educational system is that we've taken this incredibly interesting subject - how the universe works - and made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/one-of-the-tragedies-of-our-educational-system-is-that-we-ve-taken/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [I've loved physics from a young age, but I've also been interested in all sorts of big questions, from philosophy to evolution and neuroscience.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/i-ve-loved-physics-from-a-young-age-but-i-ve-also-been-interested-in/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [The simplest way out of the puzzle of time travel is to say that it can't be done. 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We do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/we-seek-an-understanding-of-the-laws-of-nature-and-of-our-particular/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [People don't realize how many aspects of our lives are touched in one way or another by not just the discoveries, the technological breakthroughs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/people-don-t-realize-how-many-aspects-of-our-lives-are-touched-in-one/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [Something can be real - actually existing, not merely illusory - and yet not be fundamental. Scientists used to think that heat, for example,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/something-can-be-real-actually-existing-not-merely-illusory-and-yet/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [Claims that some form of consciousness persists after our bodies die and decay into their constituent atoms face one huge, insuperable obstacle: the laws…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/claims-that-some-form-of-consciousness-persists-after-our-bodies-die/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [Even in empty space, time and space still exist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/even-in-empty-space-time-and-space-still-exist/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) > [The idea that time is an illusion is an old one, predating any Times Square ball drop or champagne celebrations. It reaches back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/the-idea-that-time-is-an-illusion-is-an-old-one-predating-any-times/) [Sean M. Carroll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) [Explore all 47 Sean M. Carroll quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-m-carroll/) ## More Facts quotes > [It is indeed a surprising and fortunate fact that nature can be expressed by relatively low-order mathematical functions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolf-carnap/it-is-indeed-a-surprising-and-fortunate-fact-that-nature-can-be/) [Rudolf Carnap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolf-carnap/) > [So the fool, as distinct from the scoundrel, is completely self- satisfied; in fact, he can easily become dangerous, as it does not take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dietrich-bonhoeffer/so-the-fool-as-distinct-from-the-scoundrel-is-completely-self/) [Dietrich Bonhoeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dietrich-bonhoeffer/) > [He bombarded me with words, of all things, apparently clueless to the fact that the predawn hours rendered me incapable of coherent thought.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darynda-jones/he-bombarded-me-with-words-of-all-things-apparently-clueless-to-the/) [Darynda Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darynda-jones/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm Fine!, the most common LIE in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/punkinhead-abhishek/i-m-fine-the-most-common-lie-in-the-world/) [Punkinhead Abhishek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/punkinhead-abhishek/) > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [What is history after all? History is facts which become lies in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/what-is-history-after-all-history-is-facts-which-become-lies-in-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [I am told many children block out the memory of trauma. In fact, the healing process can only truly begin when we are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-stone/i-am-told-many-children-block-out-the-memory-of-trauma-in-fact-the/) [Phoebe Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-stone/) > [Because the truth is that gossip is as good as gospel in this town. 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