Microscopic particles that human vision can only see with a microscope, as well as huge planets and clusters of stars amaze people’s imagination. Since ancient times, our ancestors tried to comprehend the principles of the formation of the cosmos, but even in the modern world an exact answer to the question “how the universe was formed” still does not exist. Perhaps the human mind is not given the solution to such a global problem?
Scientists of different eras from all over the Earth tried to comprehend this secret. All theoretical explanations are based on assumptions and calculations. Numerous hypotheses put forward by scientists are designed to create an idea of the Universe and explain the emergence of its large-scale structure, chemical elements and describe the chronology of origin.
String theory
This hypothesis to some extent refutes the Big Bang as the initial moment of occurrence of elements of outer space. According to string theory, the universe has always existed. The hypothesis describes the interaction and structure of matter, where there is a certain set of particles that are divided into quarks, bosons and leptons. In simple terms, these elements are the basis of the universe, because their size is so small that dividing into other components has become impossible.
A distinctive feature of the theory of how the Universe was formed is the statement about the aforementioned particles, which are ultramicroscopic strings that constantly oscillate. Alone, they do not have a material form, being energy, which together creates all the physical elements of the cosmos. An example in this situation is fire: looking at it, it seems to be matter, but it is intangible.
The Big Bang - The First Scientific Hypothesis
The author of this assumption was the astronomer Edwin Hubl, who in 1929 noticed that galaxies were gradually moving away from each other. The theory claims that the current large Universe arose from a particle that was microscopic in size. Future elements of the universe were in a singular state in which it is impossible to obtain data on pressure, temperature or density. The laws of physics in such conditions do not affect energy and matter.
The cause of the Big Bang is called the instability that arose inside the particle. Peculiar fragments, having spread in space, formed a nebula. After some time, these smallest elements formed atoms, from which galaxies, stars and planets of the Universe arose as we know them today.
Cosmic inflation
This theory of the birth of the Universe claims that the modern world was initially placed at an infinitely small point in a state of singularity, which began to expand with incredible speed. After a very short period of time, its increase already exceeded the speed of light. This process is called “inflation”.
The main objective of the hypothesis is to explain not how the Universe was formed, but the reasons for its expansion and the concept of cosmic singularity. As a result of work on this theory, it became clear that to solve this problem, only calculations and results based on theoretical methods are applicable.
Creationism
This theory dominated for a long time until the end of the XIX century. According to creationism, the organic world, humanity, the Earth, and the large Universe as a whole were created by God. The hypothesis originated among scientists who did not refute Christianity as an explanation of the history of the universe.
Creationism is the main opponent of evolution. All nature created by God in six days, which we see daily, was originally such and remains unchanged to this day. That is, self-development as such did not exist.
At the beginning of the 20th century, acceleration of the accumulation of knowledge in the fields of physics, astronomy, mathematics and biology begins. With the help of new information, scientists make repeated attempts to explain how the Universe was formed, thereby pushing creationism into the background. In the modern world, this theory has taken the form of a philosophical movement, consisting of religion as a basis, as well as myths, facts, and even scientific knowledge.
Stephen Hawking's Anthropic Principle
His hypothesis as a whole can be described in a few words: there are no random events. Our Earth today has more than 40 characteristics, without which life on the planet would not exist.
The American astrophysicist H. Ross estimated the probability of random events. As a result, the scientist received the number 10 with a degree of -53 (if the last digit is less than 40, randomness is considered impossible).
The observable Universe contains a trillion galaxies and each of them contains approximately 100 billion stars. Based on this, the number of planets in the Universe is 10 to the twentieth power, and this is 33 orders of magnitude less than in the previous calculation. Therefore, in the whole space there are no such unique places with conditions as on Earth that would allow the spontaneous occurrence of life.