About the Big Bang Theory

History of

• Georges Lemaitre, the father of the Big Bang Theory, referred to the theory as the hypothesis of the primeval atom. This hypothesis uses concepts derived from Einstein's General Relativity and from the ideas of Alexander Friedmann. In 1929, Edwin Hubble noticed that the redshifts of galaxies were proportional to their distances from our galaxy. This discovery led to the conclusion that all galaxies and clusters are traveling away from us at perceptible velocities. Thus, all galaxies and clusters had to have had a starting point.

Features

• Scientists calculate that the universe is roughly 13.73 billion years old. This estimate is derived from measurements of major stars, temperature fluctuations in the overall cosmic microwave background and data concerning the correlation function of galaxies. In the beginning, an unthinkably high energy density homogeneously and isotropically filled the universe. This energy, along with massive pressures and high temperatures forced the universe to expand and to cool. In the initial expansion a cosmic inflation caused a phase transition in which the universe began to grow exponentially. The cosmic inflation resulted in the creation of quark-gluon plasma and our universe's elementary particles. It took an estimated 379,000 years for the first atom to form. The force of expansion and the force of gravity created dense formations of gas clouds, stars and galaxies.

Significance

• The Big Bang Theory can help scientists understand the nature of the universe and help us understand galactic evolution and distribution, the origins of primordial elements and cosmological horizons. It can also help humans develop ways to measure the expansion rate of the universe, which in turn can affect future science-related activities such as space travel.

The Facts

• Scientists have used massive particle accelerators to test the theory under extreme temperatures and densities. The tests are successful in small scales but cannot achieve the levels of energy needed to truly simulate a "big bang." It is unknown as to what the initial conditions were like before the big bang. Our accelerators and theories can only test and hypothesize on the growth of the universe after the bang. For these reasons, the Big Bang Theory can't be proven to be a definite fact and the undisputed origin of our universe.

Misconceptions

• The most common misconception about the Big Bang Theory is from those who say it goes against the beliefs of many organized religions. Many experts who have studied this theory actually believe that the opposite is true and actually see it as a way to prove the existence of a higher being.