”What went on before the Big Bang” is an interesting question that we will probably never be able to answer accurately.
13.8 billion years ago a massive event happened; the Universe as we know it came into existence. How? We don’t know. Why? We don’t know. All we know is that the Universe started expanding from a single point in all directions at extreme increasing speed. But what were the events leading up to the Big Bang? A lot of people have this question including myself. I’m going to explain a few possible explanations, and then explain how the question may not even make sense at all…
One possible explanation of reality before the Big Bang is that we live in a large infinite multiverse, where there are more Universes just like ours coming into existence all the time. There’s not necessarily proof for this theory, but it’s not scientifically impossible and it does make sense.
Another popular theory is that the Universe is in an endless cycle of death and re-birth; one possible hypothesis for the end of the universe is that Gravity will overpower dark energy, and the universe will be pulled together into an infinitely dense single point. This is called the Big Crunch/Big Bounce. Some scientists have then said the conditions of the singularity could be similar to that of the start of the Universe, meaning that all that has to happen is this dense high energy point has to explode outwards again, creating a new universe.
Or, strangely, the question just doesn’t make sense at all. If time and reality in fact began with the Big Bang, there was nothing before the Big Bang. It’s like asking for directions to the North Pole, and when you get there, asking for more directions North. You can’t go any further north, it doesn’t make sense. The same metaphor could be used for the Big Bang. How can you go further back in time when you’re where time began?
I hope this article answered a few questions, as I know it’s a top Googled question. Check out our education section for more science and space articles.
