What came before the Big Bang, and what we still do not know
In short: Cosmology traces the universe back to an extremely hot, dense early state, and possibly to a brief burst of inflation before it. There is no confirmed scientific description of what came before inflation.
Evidence class: Speculative scenario.
The Big Bang is not an explosion at one point in space. It names the universe evolving from an extremely hot, dense early state, and space itself has been expanding ever since.
Inflation is the idea that space itself expanded at an extraordinary rate for a very brief period. Measurements of the early universe are consistent with important predictions of inflationary models, but scientists do not yet know what caused it.
Expansion has stretched ancient light into the Cosmic Microwave Background. Its tiny temperature differences show that early matter was spread slightly unevenly, and gravity amplified those differences, helping to produce stars, galaxies and galaxy clusters.
What would need to be true? • A complete, experimentally confirmed theory of quantum gravity that connects general relativity with quantum physics. • A known cause for inflation, including the physical field that drove it and how it began. • Direct observational evidence for any other universes that some versions of inflation suggest.
What could prevent it? • No complete, experimentally confirmed theory of quantum gravity exists yet. • There is currently no direct observational evidence confirming the existence of other universes. • It is not even clear whether 'before' applies in the ordinary sense. • Ideas involving additional dimensions or cosmic cycles remain theoretical.
Sources: Intellect, “What came before the Big Bang, and what we still do not know” (Owner-supplied (Intellect's own words)).
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Sources
- Source: Intellect: The Big Bang: where the biggest questions begin · Owner-supplied (Intellect's own words)
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