Ancient Whispers:The Expanding Universe

Abstract

The story that we now tell about the origins and history of the cosmos is perhaps the most dramatic demonstration of the ability of mathematical physics to coordinate experience with physical reality. The fact that this physics, which originated a mere instant ago in cosmic time, allows us to consider how the entire universe began and the manner in which it evolved over billions of years staggers the imagination. The current model for describing this universe, the big bang model with inflation, has enjoyed great success, but there are many indications that it may be badly flawed. To better understand how the original elegance and simplicity of this model has been compromised, we will begin with a brief history of cosmology.

For years, the community has worked to understand the deepest sounding of the universe, a universal background far beyond the stars and even the galaxies which fills the sky: the most energetic and the most ancient signal we have ever seen.

Philip Morrison