An Infinity of Worlds

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What happened before the primordial fire of the Big Bang, the ultimate origin of the universe? This event, an unimaginably hot fire nearly fourteen billion years ago, forged the first elements and marked a pivotal development in twentieth-century science. However, it raises many questions: Why is the universe so vast? Why is it so ancient? What is the source of cosmic structure? In exploring these inquiries, physicist Will Kinney presents a contemporary theory that may provide insights into cosmic inflation, preceding the Big Bang. Kinney posits that cosmic inflation is a transformative concept in cosmology, reshaping our understanding of the universe's structure and challenging our definitions of scientific theory. He illustrates how inflation unifies inner and outer space, merging the physics of the cosmos with that of elementary particles and fields, ultimately connecting back to the universe's inception. With quantum uncertainty as a core principle, this perspective suggests the universe's origin may be fundamentally quantum in nature. Kinney also examines the implications of eternal cosmic inflation, prompting us to confront the possibility that our observable universe is merely one of an infinite number, perpetually beyond our perception.