Expert: Jesse Martinez - 5/8/2010

Question
QUESTION: As shown on television, the universe is estimated to be approx. 13.7 billion years.  Considering this and the fact that the speed of light is absolute, it creates a horizon of the observable universe at 13.7 lightyears from our position in the univere.  So far so good.
Now bring in Big Bang.  As I understand how this is perceived, universe started out from a singularity containing the whole mass of the universe in one point more or less.  
My question is; how is it possible that the oldest objects visible to us, at the brink of the horizon had such a distance to our position already in the start?  To me this is in contradiction to the description of Big Bang.  It is as if the universe emerged not from a single point, but everywhere at the same time.  Please enlighten me if you can.

ANSWER: This question has been lingering in the pool for a while. As stated in my profile, this is the subject of which I am least qualified to answer. The only thing I can say is that this question is not understood in its present form. That is probably why no one can answer it. Even I know there is not a question that can be answered here. Try restating the query in a different way. I think there is something more basic you want to know. The size of the universe, I do not know, the age is about what you think it is. What is the real question?

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you for your response.  I will try to refrase the question;  how is it possible that the universe emerged from one point when we can observe objects in space that seemingly were billions of lightyears away already in the start?  How can an object coming from the same point as the observer have been 14 billion lightyears away at the time of the big bang?  To me there seems to be a contradiction between the concept of big bang and the age and size of the universe.

Answer
Jon,

All I can say is that like you, I have no idea why the big bang theory is accepted and recognized as true. It is not that I do not believe it is plausible. The existing evidence leads me to believe it is the best explanation.

Hopefully someone with more knowledge about this subject will add to this response