Origin and Structure of the Earth, Earth and Life Science

The Origin of the Universe

Objective
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to state the different hypotheses explaining the origin of the
universe specifically, the Big Bang Theory, the Steady State Theory, and the Oscillating Universe
Theory.

How did the universe start?

Big Bang Theory

The most accepted theory about the origin of the universe is the Big Bang Theory. Georges
Lemaître, a Belgian priest, is considered as the first proponent of the Big Bang Theory. The theory
was supported by other scientists such as Edwin Hubble, Arno Penzias, and Robert Wilson who
presented pieces of evidence to support it.

The Big Bang Theory states that the universe started as a “singularity”—an area predicted to be in
the core of a black hole with a very high temperature and density, which compressed matter with its
intense gravitational pressure.

Singularity
The presence of the singularity is still a mystery to many scientists, but they stated that this
singularity constantly expands and cools. The rate of expansion is almost equal to the rate of
cooling; at this moment, there is a build up of intense heat which leads to the increase in the
expansion of the singularity.

The intense heat also leads to the creation of matter and antimatter that are being destroyed every
time they collide with each other. During this moment, the number of matter dominates over the
number of antimatter. This started the dominance of matter, or atomic particles, in the early universe.
These particles undergo nucleosynthesis wherein they combine to form another atomic particle.

Nucleosynthesis
Nucleosynthesis leads to the formation of chemicals such as hydrogen and helium. These
chemicals then lead to the formation of the stars and the galaxies. The presence of the stars leads to
the formation of larger matter such as planets, comets, and other celestial bodies. Ever since the Big
Bang happened, the universe continuously expands, and the occurrence of the cosmic background
radiation was suggested to be an aftermath of the explosion that happened 20 billion years ago.

Steady State Theory

The Steady State Theory proposed by Hermann Bondi, Thomas Gold, and Fred Hoyle, suggests
that the universe has always been there and will always be present. It also conveys that the universe
always looks the same in any time or space but continuously expands while simultaneously creating
matter, maintaining the density of the universe; hence, the name Steady State.
The Steady State Theory is so simple that it was widely accepted even before the proposal of the
Big Bang Theory. The discovery of the cosmic background radiation significantly supported the
explanations given by the Big Bang Theory, which led many scientists to reject the Steady State
Theory. This theory first explained that the cosmic background radiation is a result of a supernova.
But after a thorough research, it was proven that it is equal in any direction of the universe and could
not only be a result of many supernovae.

Oscillating Universe Theory

The Oscillating Universe Theory, also referred to as the Pulsating Theory, discusses that the
universe is expanding and will contract once all the energy after the Big Bang is used up. This
theory, proposed by Richard Tolman, can be described as the combination of the Big Bang and the
Big Crunch.

The Big Crunch occurs when the universe expands and eventually reverses, then collapses
causing a singularity or the formation of another Big Bang. The Oscillating Universe Theory suggests
that once the universe reverses and attains the point of singularity, another universe will be born.
This is referred to as the Big Bounce. Tolman theorized that the universe may be first in the cycle
and could be a result of a previous Big Bounce event.

Just like in the Steady State Theory, scientists discovered many loopholes in the Oscillating
Universe Theory because it was said that for the universe to collapse, energy must be present. This
theory suggests that the universe will collapse on its own after it reaches its full expansion, which
violates some laws of physics.

Explore
Aside from the theories discussed in this lesson, what other theories can you suggest to explain the
origin of the universe? You may use the internet to search for other theories.

Try it!
Choose one of the theories about the origin of the universe. Create a concept map illustrating the
events that happen in the universe as explained by that theory.

What do you think?

Do you think the universe has a beginning or has it always existed? Explain your answer.

Key Points
 Big Bang Theory states that the universe started as a singularity that exploded. This
explosion resulted to the formation of all the matter in universe.
 Steady State Theory discusses that the universe has always been there and will always be
present.
 Oscillating Universe Theory discusses that the universe is expanding and will contract
once all the energy after the Big Bang is used up. The collapsing of the universe will then
lead to the formation of a new universe.