People are always curious about the origin of the universe. We've been indoctrinated with the idea that the universe was born with the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, but is that simple? Hey, wait, don't jump to conclusions, let's think about it.
Have you ever wondered what it was like before 13.9 billion years since the universe was born 13.8 billion years ago? Was it chaos or something else, or was there no concept of "before" at all? Don't worry, let's take our time and sort through this confusing topic.
First of all, we have to figure out how this "13.8 billion years" came about. We can only observe a small part of the universe that we are currently in, and this observable range is expanding at an acceleration. Well, like a big balloon that is constantly inflating. Since it is now in a state of expansion, if you look at it on the other hand, it is a process of continuous contraction. It's like if you turn the balloon inflator upside down, it will keep shrinking.
So you say, if you keep pushing forward like this, the longer the time passes, the smaller and denser the universe will become, and the temperature and density will also increase. It's like if you shrink and shrink the balloon, and in the end it becomes a hot and dense little dot. This needs to be described in terms of relevant theories in physics. However, when the time goes back to that tinkin about 13.8 billion years ago, no existing theory can explain its state, which is called a "singularity".
Interesting? I'll give you another graphic example. If I were to ask you, "What is 1 divided by 0?", you would shake your head and say that the mathematical expression doesn't make sense, because "0" is the point that makes it meaningless, which is the "singularity". For the universe, that small dot 13.8 billion years ago is the "singularity" that makes all modern physical theories meaningless.
So, if you continue to ask, "What did it exist 13.9 billion years ago?" I'm sorry, but modern science can't give a definite answer. But don't be discouraged, humans have always been a group of curious babies, always full of conjectures about unsolved mysteries. From ancient times to the present day, we have come up with a variety of interesting hypotheses.
For example, there is a view called the "chaos hypothesis", which believes that before the birth of the universe, everything was in a chaotic energy field state, with neither matter nor concept of time, just like a baby who has not woken up.
There is also the "oscillation hypothesis", which says that the expansion of the universe as we see it now is only temporary, like a swinging pendulum, and that at some point in the future the universe will contract due to gravity, form a singularity again, and then another big bang, and the cycle will never end.
The "membrane universe hypothesis" is also interesting, which compares the universe to an infinite number of thin films in high-dimensional space, which will inevitably collide due to the gravitational attraction between the membranes, and each impact will form a new universe, like blowing a soap bubble.
Of course, there are also diehards, such as proponents of the "eternal universe hypothesis", who believe that the observed expansion of the universe is just an illusion created by some unknown mechanism, and that the universe itself has always been there, an eternal existence. I don't know if they're right, but this view makes people feel the immortality of the universe.
Do you think these hypotheses are all interesting? Which one do you think is more convincing when you express your own opinions on the question of "what really existed 13.9 billion years ago?"
But then again, these are just speculations based on current cognition and imagination. The mysteries of the universe are yet to be explored and verified in the future. Just as we can't be sure for sure what was going on before the birth of the Earth, I think that one day in the future, we will come up with a more convincing explanation for the myth of "before the birth of the universe."
总之，对于这个宏大的宇宙，我们依然充满了好奇与敬畏之心。 正如爱因斯坦曾说：”The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible.” 宇宙之所以令人费解，正是因为它是可以被理解的。 所以让我们静下心来，用理性与想象力继续探寻宇宙的奥秘吧。
Disclaimer: The information in this article comes from the Internet, which is not guaranteed to be completely correct and is for reference only.