Cosmologists have long been puzzled by the Big Bang theory. Among the mysteries are how the universe could have been perfectly uniform at the moment of its creation, and why it did not just collapse back in on itself from the force of its own gravity.
Now, a team of researchers at the University of Sussex, UK, have come up with a theory that could answer these questions. They propose that the universe is in fact infinite, and that there is no such thing as a Big Bang.
Instead, the observable universe is just a tiny pocket within a much larger cosmic ocean. This ocean is constantly bubbling with new universes, which form and then collapse back into the ocean. Our own universe is just one of these bubbles.
The researchers say that this theory could explain why the universe is perfectly uniform, and why it does not collapse under its own gravity. They also say that the theory could explain the origin of dark energy, the mysterious force that is causing the universe to expand at an accelerating rate.
"Our theory suggests that the universe is like a soap bubble that is constantly growing," said Professor Paul Steinhardt, who led the research team. "The observable universe is just a small part of this bubble, and it is expanding because the bubble is growing.
"This theory could solve many of the problems with the Big Bang theory, and it provides a new way of thinking about the universe."
The researchers say that they hope to test the theory by using the James Webb Space Telescope, which is scheduled to be launched in 2021. The telescope will be able to observe the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe, and could provide evidence for the theory.
"If the observations from the James Webb Space Telescope support our theory, it would revolutionize our understanding of the universe," said Steinhardt. "It would mean that the universe is not only infinite, but also eternal."
