Why does Hubble’s Law often confound those born and raised on Earth?

A wide variety of modern astronomical observations clearly show that our Universe had a beginning in time, known as the “big bang.”  But, those same observations also show that the Universe expands in all directions simultaneously, meaning that it has no single birthplace in space. 

Unless time is treated as a fourth dimension, akin to the three dimensions of space, these ideas--a starting time, but not a starting place, are difficult for humans who grew up on Earth, where time and space seem separate concepts, to reconcile.  An Earth-centric upbringing motivates two very “frequently-asked” questions about an expanding Universe that began with a big bang: 

  1. If the Universe had a beginning, what was here before the big bang? 

  2. If space is expanding, what’s it expanding into; what lies beyond? 

See also: Hubble's Law