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In the beginning of all things, I wasn't there. Now I'm seemingly everywhere.

With or without an orchestra, you can't listen to me unless I'm conducting.

I know not of my birth, since my parents sacrificed themselves so that I could be.

I only know that things were hot and there was a lot of pressure to make me.

What am I?

Hint:

The riddle does contain some misdirection and some double meanings.

Here are some helpful wikipedia articles related to the clues for those who have solved the riddle and want to know more:

In the beginning of all things, I wasn't there. Now I'm seemingly everywhere.
With or without an orchestra, you can't listen to me
unless I'm conducting.
I know not of my birth, since my parents sacrificed themselves so that I could be.
I only know that things were hot and there was a lot of pressure to make me.

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  • $\begingroup$ Your tags (and riddle) look good, so I've edited out the meta question. Welcome to PSE. :) $\endgroup$
    – Alconja
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 10:01
  • $\begingroup$ That hint though! xD $\endgroup$
    – m4n0
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 19:12
  • $\begingroup$ @ManojKumar I didn't want to give any too easy or revealing hints while still helping some people with finding the answer :]. Many people I told the riddle to were really focused on finding an answer that would satisfy all the clues with only one meaning. I suppose that's partly the fault of the riddle, since three of the four clues are actually satisfied with just the one meaning. $\endgroup$
    – Hunaja
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 19:47

4 Answers 4

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Perhaps it is:

Metal, specifically copper?

In the beginning of all things, I wasn't there. Now I'm seemingly everywhere.

Before everything cooled off, the universe was a hot jumble of particles until atoms were formed. However, it was pretty much just the lightest elements like hydrogen. The birth and death process of stars helped create and propagate heavier elements.

With or without an orchestra, you can't listen to me unless I'm conducting.

Metals like copper can be good conductors (of electricity). Electric appliances sometimes generate a hum when they are switched on. Metal is both a kind of element and a musical genre.

I know not of my birth, since my parents sacrificed themselves so that I could be.

Heavier elements are formed when stars exploded in supernovae, scattering heavier elements as their lives come to an end. Remnants of supernovae can form other bodies including planets.

I only know that things were hot and there was a lot of pressure to make me.

Stars combine elements into heavier elements through fusion. Stars are really, really, really hot.

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  • $\begingroup$ The general answer is correct (the first guess, not the second specifying answer), but your reasoning on the second clue is a bit off. I'll mark this as correct, if you can refine that a bit :). Note the hint that I added to the question. $\endgroup$
    – Hunaja
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 18:49
  • $\begingroup$ Nice, this is exactly what I was looking for! Well done! $\endgroup$
    – Hunaja
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 19:13
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I'll say that you are

Oil

In the beginning of all things, I wasn't there. Now I'm seemingly everywhere.

Oil is a huge commodity today, but wasn't available before it was formed.

With or without an orchestra, you can't listen to me unless I'm conducting.

Oil heaters conduct heat and make noise, but often oil is used to quiet things.

I know not of my birth, since my parents sacrificed themselves so that I could be.

Oil comes from prehistoric flora and fauna, which are long gone.

I only know that things were hot and there was a lot of pressure to make me.

"Over millions of years under high pressure and high temperature, the remains of these organisms transformed into what we know today as fossil fuels. Coal, natural gas, and petroleum are all fossil fuels that formed under similar conditions." -National Geographic

Possibly funny side note:

While looking into this I found a "conductor" named Pete Moss

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  • $\begingroup$ A very nice answer, and I'm satisfied with your reasoning on all the other points, but the second about conducting. This is not the answer I'm looking for. $\endgroup$
    – Hunaja
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 14:34
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Is it

Atoms?

In the beginning of all things, I wasn't there. Now I'm seemingly everywhere.

Before the big bang, everything was one dimensional, and then everything was. Atoms are now everywhere

With or without an orchestra, you can't listen to me unless I'm conducting.

Without atoms "conducting" the vibrations through the air, our hearing wouldn't work

I know not of my birth, since my parents sacrificed themselves so that I could be.

Atoms were created in the big bang. Time + space were also created then, without which atoms would not exist

I only know that things were hot and there was a lot of pressure to make me.

Right after the big bang, the immense pressure and heat glued protons to neutrons then invited electrons.

Also,

Pardon my spotty astrophysical knowledge

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  • $\begingroup$ Nice guesses and you're partly on the right track, but not what I'm looking for. Also, consider editing your answer to hide your guesses properly :P $\endgroup$
    – Hunaja
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 14:36
  • $\begingroup$ Ah, thank you. Its changed now (thank you Zani Xu) and edited my post to reflect my new answer (thank you to my Vietnamese friend). $\endgroup$
    – Mingqi Zhong
    Commented Jul 9, 2018 at 0:53
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I guess, it is (a partial answer)

Vacuum

As,

In the beginning of all things, I wasn't there. Now I'm seemingly everywhere.

There was not even vacuum in the beginning. However, nowadays many appliances/apparatus are available using vacuum.

With or without an orchestra, you can't listen to me unless I'm conducting.

There is a difference between evacuated space(which does not transmit sound through it) a vacuum (which is a lower pressure area- still can conduct sound through it)

I know not of my birth, since my parents sacrificed themselves so that I could be.

Not sure on this part- it could be matter and antimatter which when join, results in vacuum!? Or vacuum's parents are - space and time....(a bit of stretch , though)

I only know that things were hot and there was a lot of pressure to make me.

Perhaps, this refers to big bang theory( Pertaining to origin of the current universe)

What am I?

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  • $\begingroup$ Nice reasoning on some of the points, but not what I'm looking for. $\endgroup$
    – Hunaja
    Commented Jul 8, 2018 at 18:21

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