one big question about the big bang remains: “What was it that banged?” The answer lies in his theory of cosmic inflation. “It sets up the conditions for the big bang—like a prequel ...

In 1981, physicist Alan Guth proposed the theory of cosmic inflation ... surrounded by intense events such as inflation and the Big Bang, thermal equilibrium would likely have been disrupted.

We like to believe we have a pretty good idea of how things work in our universe. However, the truth is that there is still ...