Horizons of Knowledge in Cosmology

Abstract

In cosmology one faces the problem that the observer is part of the system, the universe, and that the system cannot be altered to test physical theory. In the big bang cosmology the universe becomes opaque to radiation early on, the images of extended distant galaxies merge and in order to measure the distance of a remote galaxy one has to disperse its light to form a spectrum which would cause confusion with other background galaxies. For these and other reasons, one encounters horizons of knowledge in the universe. Since the early universe should be described in quantum terms, it follows that non-locality in the universe is not an a-priori requirement but the outcome of the observing process itself. As such, the flatness and horizon problems may not be preconditions on theoretical models.