Question

(From a science quiz that appeared in the weekly magazine The Economist.) Economic history is easier to write than the history of the universe. Nevertheless, most cosmologists now think that when the universe was formed,

A) first there was a Big Bang, then inflation (of space) caused recession (of all matter, away from the Big Bang).
B) first there was inflation, which caused the Big Bang, then recession.
C) first there was a Big Bang. There has not been any inflation yet, but if it comes it will cause recession

Answer 1

The Big Bang occurred first, followed by a period of rapid expansion known as inflation, which contributed to the recession of all matter from the point of the explosion.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Big Bang and Inflation

Most cosmologists currently support the theory that the universe began with the Big Bang, which occurred between 13 and 15 billion years ago. This explosion was not the start of inflation. Rather, inflation occurred after the Big Bang, a theory that is crucial to explain some fundamental aspects of the cosmos such as its flatness and uniformity.

During a very brief period, approximately between 10-35 and 10-33 second after the Big Bang, the universe underwent a phase of extremely rapid expansion -- inflation -- increasing in size by a factor that is incalculably huge, vastly more than what the standard Big Bang models predicted.

Following this period of inflation, the expansion rate slowed down, but the universe continued to expand and cool. This process led to the separation of the four fundamental forces. Grand Unified Theories (GUTS) and high-energy particle experiments aim to understand this early phase of the universe, although conditions during the inflationary epoch have not yet been directly evidenced.

In summary, the answer to the student's question is A) first there was a Big Bang, then inflation (of space) caused recession (of all matter, away from the Big Bang).