"Not so very long ago, these kinds of existential questions were judged to be without scientific answers. Yet scientists have found some answers, through more than a century of astronomical observations and theoretical developments that have been woven together to give us the Big Bang theory of cosmology. This extraordinary theory is supported by a wide range of astronomical evidence, is broadly accepted by the scientific community, and has (a least by name) become embedded in popular culture."
"We shouldn't get too comfortable. Although it tells an altogether remarkable story, the current Big Bang theory leaves us with many unsatisfactorily unanswered questions, and recent astronomical observations threaten to undermine it completely. The Big Bang theory may very soon be in crisis. To understand why, it helps to appreciate that there is much more to the theory than the Big Bang itself. That the Universe must have had a historical beginning was an inevitable consequence of concluding that the space in it is expanding."
A century of astronomical observations and theoretical developments form the basis of the Big Bang theory of cosmology. The theory explains that the Universe began from a hot, dense state and has evolved into a cosmic web of stars, galaxies and planets. Observations such as Hubble and Humason's 1929 discovery that most galaxies recede at speeds proportional to distance imply cosmic expansion and a historical beginning. The Big Bang theory is supported by wide-ranging evidence and broadly accepted, yet substantial unanswered questions remain and recent observations may threaten the current framework.
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