Question:
I am a third grader thinking about the big-bang theory. Can anyone help
me understand what caused the big bang?????
Replies:
Nobody knows. There is one theory, called "inflation" that suggests
it was caused by a quantum mechanical "fluctuation" in an
older background universe that raised the energy of a very tiny
portion in such a way that that portion just grew and grew and
grew in size (inflationary expansion). There are other theories
that are associated with black-hole formation in pre-existing
universes. And of course there's the anthropic principle: if
we weren't here, then in all probability the universe would look
very different.
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