Origins — The Big Bang

The Big Bang Theory describes how the Universe expanded from an extremely hot, dense state about 13.8 billion years ago. It wasn’t an explosion in space — it was an expansion of space itself.

Evidence of the Big Bang

  • Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) — afterglow of the early Universe.
  • Redshift of galaxies — galaxies moving away shows expansion.
  • Elemental abundances — hydrogen, helium, lithium formation ratios match predictions.

What Happened in the First Moments?

  • 10⁻³⁶ seconds: Inflation rapidly expands space.
  • 3 minutes: Light elements form.
  • 380,000 years: Atoms form → Universe becomes transparent.