Alternatives to the Big Bang Theory (infographic)

The universe began about 13 billion years ago. Some theorists have come up with alternative explanations for the Big Bang Theory. Some of the theories are explored in a detailed Infographic.

To understand how the universe came into being, we need to know what it is. According to NASA, the term "observable universe" refers to everything that we can see.

Scientists can see 13.8 billion light-years in every direction because of the connection between distance and speed of light. It is not that simple. The observable universe sphere is thought to be over 90 billion light-years in diameter due to the expansion of the universe.

How big is the universe?

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Big Bang Theory assumptions

Three assumptions are made by scientists about the universe.

1. The laws of physics are universal and don't change with time or location in space.
2. The universe is homogenous, or roughly the same in every direction (though not necessarily all of the time).   
3. Humans do not observe the universe from a privileged location such as its very center. 

The universe has several properties when applied to Einstein's equations.

1. The universe is expanding.
2. The universe emerged from a hot, dense state at some infinite time in the past. 
3. The lightest elements, hydrogen and helium were created in the first moments. 
4. A background of microwave radiation fills the entire universe.  

Big Bang alternatives

If any of these assumptions are wrong, the Big Bang Theory wouldn't explain the properties of the universe. Is it possible the Big Bang never happened?

Was Einstein right? There is a case against space-time theory.

The Steady State universe is an alternative theory. Steady State is a theory that theorizes the creation of matter throughout the universe to explain its apparent expansion. The universe would be infinite. The theory is not correct according to a mountain of evidence.

The Eternal Inflation theory is an alternative. The universe expanded rapidly after the Big bang. Inflation has been going on for a long time, according to the Eternal Inflation theory. New universes are coming into existence in the multiverse. Different physical laws could be found in those many universes.

The Oscillating model of the universe involved an endless series of Big Bangs, followed by Big Crunches. The modern model involves collidingbranes within a higher-dimensional volume.

The implications of quantum gravity and string theory suggest that the universe is nothing like how it looks to humans. A hologram may be projected onto the surface of a sphere. It could be a simulation on a computer.

Additional resources

We may never get to know whether the universe is finite or infinite because of an interview with Professor Joseph Silk. The National Schools Observatory, John Moores University, and The University of Western Australia are some of the places where you can find evidence for the Big bang.

Bibliography