[Bogey78O]

Well the singularity is kind of a simplified explanation. Many people are pushing toward the "no beginning" idea. Bascially with relativity as an item aproaches light-speed time appears to slow down. So if you were to wind back the clock you'd never get to the starting point because as each object fled at extrordinary speed it distorted time.

Of course I'm tired and I probably butchered that explanation.

There's also the hypothesis that matter doesn't exist quite as we know it and the universe is mearly the result of something outside of normal space-time.

[M. Peach]

Let's say for the heck of it, that some race was created in this universe or some former universe - that one of its members became so intellectually advanced and got so bored that he wanted to create his own universe - and he threw all of these gases and gravity in motion so that he could watch it all come together to see what would happen.

In some parts of this universe that he threw together, life was created and he watched it grow, letting each living entity develop on its own to see what would happen. Each entity and it's progeny was left to it's own ability to grow and develop - or destroy itself.

Just think - if you had immortality and the capability to do anything you wanted - what would you do with your time?

I think this explains both theories.