The
Origin of Everything
<by Angela Cheng>
Why is our universe the way it is?
The theory that everything in our universe originated from an infinitesimal point 15
billion years ago is commonly known as the Hot Big Bang model. While the reason
our universe came into existence may be a mystery, details of its evolution during
this time may help us understand a variety of basic elements in modern physics.
<Inflation>
Inflation is the term for the exponential expansion of the
universe in the first moments of its existence. It states
that the universe expanded faster than the old Big Bang
model suggested. According to cosmic inflation, in the
the first 10-34 seconds, the universe expanded from a
few centimeters across to about the size of your fists.
The theory bridges particle physics and cosmology by
helping explain how matter was able to form.
Our universe continues to expand today, only at a
slower rate; this is not merely the motion of galaxies
away from each other, but the expansion of space
itself. Evidence points to accelerating expan-
sion, caused by a mysterious “dark energy”
or “vacuum energy”. Despite much specu-
lation, little is generally known about dark
energy.
<Multiverse>
An offshoot of inflation is the idea of a multi-
verse, a collection of all the universes that could
possibly exist. There are about 10500 possibilities of
natural laws that describe a universe. Our universe, for
example, has specific numbers that describe physical
laws such as gravity, electricity, and magnetism.
According to multiverse theories, every possible (but
not conceivable) universe exists, independently of our
own. These universes would have different physical
laws and fundamental constants from our own.
The multiverse theory is still the subject of active de-
bate in the physics community. Stanford Professor Leon-
ard Susskind, for example, is attracted to the idea, but
prefers the term “megaverse”. Not all physicists are of
this mindset, however. Since we may never observe
other “bubble” universes, much rests on opinion.
When asked whether he believed in a multiverse,
Prof. Steven Shenker replied “I’m agnostic.”
<WMAP>
As the universe cooled, matter eventually spread out
enough for light to travel freely through space. This
so-called cosmic microwave background (CMB) radia-
tion, created 379,000 years after the Big Bang, is the
oldest detectable light in the universe. The Wilkinson
Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) team has made
the first detailed full-sky map ofthis radiation. The new
data support and strengthen the Big Bang and Inflation
Theories.
<Scientific Controversy>
The implication of a multiverse makes us question the
nature of existence. Inflation and expansion, the uneven
distribution of matter, the fundamental forces, and the
elementary particles all have to be exactly right for hu-
man life--or else we wouldn’t be here to think about it.
Basically, the idea is that there are many universes,
but the one we happen to observe is necessarily one
that allows our existence. The idea that the universe
must be the way it is because we are around to observe
it is called the Anthropic Principle. While some physi-
cists think this might be all we will ever know, at
least in the foreseeable future, some are unsat-
isfied, and seek a more conclusive answer.
Prof. Leonard Susskind discusses these im-
plications in his book The Cosmic Landscape:
String Theory and the Illusion of Intelligent
Design.
“People used to think, before Kepler, that
our solar system was the whole universe. The
big questions were: Why are the planets at the
distances that they are? Why is the distance of the
earth just right to allow for liquid water to exist?” says
Stanford theoretical particle physicist Savas Di-
mopoulos. “From thinking that our world might
be one of many worlds, our galaxy part of a
collection of galaxies, we are now considering
our universe as one of a virtually infinite num-
ber of universes.”
With such an all-encompassing idea, physicists will be
occupied in proving/disproving their hypothesis for
quite awhile.
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A physics major, freshman Angela Cheng is fascinated by any and all
things science-related. She loves travel - to Asia, to Europe, and to
main campus, from Frosoco. Her aspirations include finishing Lucre-
tius’ De Rerum Natura and learning how to jump curbs.
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