How do you define nothing?

Some say you can’t get something from nothing, and others say you can’t help but get something from nothing. This launches a debate about what nothing means, because the argument, “You can’t get something from nothing.” begs the question, “What is your definition of nothing?”. Only when “nothing” is defined in very precise and unproven terms does the argument, “You can’t get something from nothing.” hold true.

This video (warning: 25 minutes but worth the investment in time) covers the verbal slight-of-hand some use to make something they want arise out of nothing while at the same time swearing that we all just intuitively know that you can’t get something from nothing (so long as you presuppose that “nothing” actually has the definition they wish it to have—basically that which you can’t get something from). My guess is nothing could be further from the truth.

It may seem that our intuition is correct, but intuitive understanding forged solely in a world where we observe macro-level objects leaves us with understanding that is meaningless at the quantum mechanical level. Watch the video and see what you think about how well our intuition covers events like The Singularity, the Big Bang, and what may have come “before” either.

So how do you define nothing? How can people reasonably disagree about what nothing means?