Article: Inside inflation - after the big bang

Inside inflation: after the big bang
03 March 2007
Peter Coles
Magazine issue 2593
MASSACHUSETTS, 1981. A young physicist comes up with what seems to be an
absurd idea: the universe went through a period of ultra-fast expansion just
after the big bang. Alan Guth cannot prove that this "inflation" actually
happened nor can he suggest a compelling physical reason why it should have,
but the idea seems nevertheless to solve several major problems in
cosmology.

Fast forward to today. Guth is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology and inflation is now well established as an essential component
of cosmology. But should it be?

There is little direct evidence that inflation actually took place.
Observations of the cosmic microwave background - "fossil" radiation from
the big bang - are consistent with the idea that inflation took place, but
that doesn't mean it actually happened. What's more, we still don't know
what would have caused it if it did. So how confident can ...

The complete article is 2985 words long

http://space.newscientist.com/articl...mg19325931.400

Editor Summary:
In 1981, a young physicist called Alan Guth came up with what seemed to be
an absurd idea: that the universe went through a period of ultra-fast
expansion just after the big bang. Although Guth can't prove that this
"inflation" actually happened - or even suggest a compelling physical reason
for why it should have, his idea is now well established as an essential
component of cosmology. But should it be? The problem is that without
inflation the universe would fit on a pinhead. Just how confident can we be
that inflation is really a part of the universe's history.

Comment:
Not very...

Posted by
Robert Karl Stonjek

Dear Robert Karl Stonjek:

"Robert Karl Stonjek" wrote in message
...
....
But should it be? The problem is that without
inflation the universe would fit on a pinhead. Just
how confident can we be that inflation is really a
part of the universe's history.

It doesn't have to be. It could all fit in a desktop gew-gaw, a
conversation piece.

Inflation could be just what it means in economics, a sudden /
rapid shift in the relationship between "actors".

David A. Smith

"Robert Karl Stonjek" wrote in message
...
Inside inflation: after the big bang
03 March 2007
Peter Coles
Magazine issue 2593
MASSACHUSETTS, 1981. A young physicist comes up with what seems to be an
absurd idea: the universe went through a period of ultra-fast expansion
just
after the big bang. Alan Guth cannot prove that this "inflation" actually
happened nor can he suggest a compelling physical reason why it should
have,
but the idea seems nevertheless to solve several major problems in
cosmology.

Fast forward to today. Guth is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute
of
Technology and inflation is now well established as an essential component
of cosmology. But should it be?

There is little direct evidence that inflation actually took place.
Observations of the cosmic microwave background - "fossil" radiation from
the big bang - are consistent with the idea that inflation took place, but
that doesn't mean it actually happened. What's more, we still don't know
what would have caused it if it did. So how confident can ...

The complete article is 2985 words long


http://space.newscientist.com/articl...mg19325931.400

Editor Summary:
In 1981, a young physicist called Alan Guth came up with what seemed to be
an absurd idea: that the universe went through a period of ultra-fast
expansion just after the big bang. Although Guth can't prove that this
"inflation" actually happened - or even suggest a compelling physical
reason
for why it should have, his idea is now well established as an essential
component of cosmology. But should it be? The problem is that without
inflation the universe would fit on a pinhead. Just how confident can we
be
that inflation is really a part of the universe's history.

Comment:
Not very...

No inflation is needed. See the article entitled "Unification of Physics" in
the following website:
http://www.geocities.com/kn_seto/index.htm

Ken Seto

On Mar 6, 1:33 pm, "kenseto" wrote:
"Robert Karl Stonjek" wrote in ...

Inside inflation: after the big bang
03 March 2007
Peter Coles
Magazine issue 2593
MASSACHUSETTS, 1981. A young physicist comes up with what seems to be an
absurd idea: the universe went through a period of ultra-fast expansion
just
after the big bang. Alan Guth cannot prove that this "inflation" actually
happened nor can he suggest a compelling physical reason why it should
have,
but the idea seems nevertheless to solve several major problems in
cosmology.

Fast forward to today. Guth is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute
of
Technology and inflation is now well established as an essential component
of cosmology. But should it be?

There is little direct evidence that inflation actually took place.
Observations of the cosmic microwave background - "fossil" radiation from
the big bang - are consistent with the idea that inflation took place, but
that doesn't mean it actually happened. What's more, we still don't know
what would have caused it if it did. So how confident can ...

The complete article is 2985 words long

http://space.newscientist.com/articl...MP=NLC-ezine&n...



Editor Summary:
In 1981, a young physicist called Alan Guth came up with what seemed to be
an absurd idea: that the universe went through a period of ultra-fast
expansion just after the big bang. Although Guth can't prove that this
"inflation" actually happened - or even suggest a compelling physical
reason
for why it should have, his idea is now well established as an essential
component of cosmology. But should it be? The problem is that without
inflation the universe would fit on a pinhead. Just how confident can we
be
that inflation is really a part of the universe's history.

Comment:
Not very...

No inflation is needed. See the article entitled "Unification of Physics" in
the following website:http://www.geocities.com/kn_seto/index.htm

Funny, I didn't think GR and quantum theory would unify in such a way
that math isn't needed.


Ken Seto