Could The Universe Experiences Another Big Bang?

What if the universe could experience another Big Bang? Join us on "I Wonder" as we tackle this intriguing possibility with Oliver's thought-provoking question about the future of our cosmos. We unravel the mysteries of the original Big Bang, focusing on how evidence like cosmic background radiation and the movement of galaxies validate this theory. As we explore cosmic phenomena, we ponder the likelihood of a second Big Bang through concepts like the Big Crunch, the Big Bounce, and the idea that other universes might host their own cosmic creations beyond our perception.

Episode Transcript

Hey there, curious minds, welcome to," I Wonder, the show where we explore the questions you've been wondering about. Today's question comes from Oliver, who asked what would happen if there was another Big Bang. That's a big question, Oliver. The original Big Bang happened around 13.8 billion years ago and it created everything we know the stars, the galaxies and even the space around us. But could there be another Big Bang and, if so, what would it mean for our universe? Let's dive into the mysteries of the Big Bang and explore the fascinating possibilities. To understand what might happen if there were another Big Bang, we first need to understand what scientists believe happened during the original Big Bang.

The Big Bang wasn't an explosion in the way we think of fireworks or bombs. Instead, it was the rapid expansion of space itself from an incredibly hot, dense point. Before the Big Bang, there was no space, no time, no stars, just a tiny point that held all the energy and matter of the entire universe. The point was unimaginably small. Possibly even small than an atom yet it contained everything that would eventually become our universe.

Then, in a fraction of a second, this tiny point expanded rapidly. Space, time, matter and energy all came into existence, filling what had been well nothingness. This expansion is still going on today, as the universe continues to grow and galaxies move farther apart from each other. You might be wondering how did scientists figure all of this out? It's not like anyone was there to witness the Big Bang.

The idea of the Big Bang came from clues that astronomers and physicists have found from studying the universe. One of the biggest clues is something called cosmic background radiation. Back in 1965, scientists Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson discovered faint microwave radiation coming from all directions in space. This radiation is the leftover energy from the Big Bang, which has been traveling through space for billions of years. Scientists believe that this cosmic background radiation is like a snapshot of the early universe, showing us what the universe was like only about 380,000 years after the Big Bang. By studying it, scientists have learned a lot about how the universe started and evolved. Another major clue is that galaxies are moving away from each other. Astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered in the 1920s that galaxies are moving farther apart, which means that every second, the universe is getting bigger. This expansion supports the idea that everything began from a single point. It's as if you took a balloon, drew some dots on it and then blew it up. As you blew up the balloon, the dots move farther apart. Similarly, as space itself expands, galaxies move farther away from each other.

The period immediately following the Big Bang was intense and incredibly fast was intense and incredibly fast. In the first few seconds, the universe was so hot and dense that particles couldn't form. But as it cooled slightly, particles like protons and neutrons began to appear. These tiny building blocks eventually combined to form the first simple elements, hydrogen and helium. For the first few hundred thousand years, the universe was so hot that light couldn't even travel freely. It was only after it cooled down further, about 380,000 years later, that atoms could form and light could travel across space. This is the point when the universe became transparent, and it's this light from the early universe that we now see as cosmic background radiation.

Now could there be another Big Bang? Some scientists believe it's possible, but it would depend on a few factors. One theory suggests that our universe might one day stop expanding and start shrinking instead. This process, called the big crunch, would cause everything to collapse back into a hot, dense point similar to what existed before the Big Bang. Then, in theory, this point could expand again, creating a new universe in a process known as the Big Bounce. But there's another theory too Multiverse theory. This theory suggests that there could be many universes, each with its own big bang, forming new universes all the time. If another big bang happened in a separate universe, we might never feel it or even know about it. However, if a new big bang somehow happened within our universe, things would be very different.

If a second Big Bang happened in our universe, it could mean the end of everything we know. The energy released would be unimaginable, more powerful than any explosion we could imagine. This level of energy would like destroy all matter, breaking atoms apart and causing temperatures to skyrocket. Honestly, life as we know it wouldn't survive. However, it's unlikely that we'd have a second Big Bang here.

The first Big Bang created the conditions for our universe to expand and spread out, so there's no way to restart it while our universe exists in its current form. For a new Big Bang to occur in our universe, everything would need to collapse back into a single dense point first, essentially hitting a cosmic reset button. Now, if there were a new Big Bang, would it create a universe like ours? Not necessarily the conditions of a Big Bang determine what the universe will be like. Tiny changes in the energy or temperature during the Big Bang could lead to a very different universe. For example, if the forces between particles were even slightly different, stars and galaxies might not form the same way, or they might not form at all. Some scientists think that if the Big Bang happened differently, the universe might even have different laws of physics, and life as we know it might not exist. This just shows how unique and delicate the conditions of our universe are. In a new universe, everything from gravity to the way atoms form could be completely different.

The chances of a second Big Bang happening are still unknown.

The universe is expanding faster and faster, so the likelihood of a big crunch seems low right now.

However, we're still learning about the nature of the universe and how it behaves. So while a second Big Bang in our universe seems unlikely, it's not impossible, and if the multiverse theory is correct, there may be countless Big Bangs happening in other universes that we'll never see or experience.

So, to answer Oliver's question, if there were another Big Bang in our universe, it could mean the end of everything we know, leading to a new universe, but it's unlikely that it would happen in our current universe. If the universe eventually collapses in a big crunch, it could spark a new Big Bang, possibly creating a different universe altogether, and that's known as the Big Bounce Theory and if the multiverse theory is correct, big Bangs could be happening all the time in other universes, creating endless possibilities.

Thanks again to Oliver for such an expansive question and remember, if you have a question you're curious about, submit it on our website iwonderpodcastcom, and we might just feature it in our next episode of I Wonder. Until next time, stay curious and keep wondering you.