> [!infobox] <s class="aside-in"><em>mentioned in 13 topics, 2 evergreens, 2 sources</em></s> #### <s class="topic-title">[[the Big Bang]]</s> The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological model explaining the existence of the observable universe from the earliest known periods through its subsequent large-scale [[evolution]]. > In a single blinding pulse, a moment of glory much too swift and expansive for any form of words, the singularity assumes heavenly dimensions, space beyond conception. > > <cite>[[10_Sources/books - A Short History of Nearly Everything#283957201q|A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson]]</cite> > [!wikipedia] [the Big Bang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big%20Bang) > > The basis of this theory is the observation that the farther away a galaxy is from us, the faster it is moving, leading to the idea of an [[expanding universe]]. > Extrapolation of the expansion of the universe backwards in time using [[general relativity]] yields an [[infinite]] density and temperature at a *finite* time in the past, where the laws of [[physics]] in regular [[spacetime]] breakdown. > This irregular behavior, known as the [[gravitational singularity]], indicates that general relativity is not an adequate description of the laws of physics in this regime. > > According to this theory, space and time emerged together 13.787±0.020 billion years ago, and the [[universe]] has been expanding ever since. > > The initial discovery of [[Cosmic microwave background radiation]] in 1964 was key in the formulation of the Big Bang theory. > The model describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature, and offers a comprehensive explanation for a broad range of observed phenomena, including the abundance of light elements, the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation, and large-scale structure. > > Neither [[general relativity]] nor [[quantum mechanics]] can currently describe the earliest moments of the Big Bang, but in general, quantum mechanics does not permit particles to inhabit a space smaller than their wavelengths. Leading to questions about the [[Initial singularity]] > > ![[10_Sources/books - A Short History of Nearly Everything#283957202q]] **See**:: [[physics]] #### Related - [[The area of a sugar cube contains around 56 neutrinos from the Big Bang]]