Explaining the existence of our Universe

by Jemima Tan

One question that has always been asked by mankind since antiquity is: “How did this universe come about?” Indeed, explaining away our very existence seems to have been an obsession of humans in general. Of course, as their technology and knowledge were still very limited during their era, our early ancestors attributed their existence to divine beings, and further elaborated on the story of creation by passing down myths and legends of these extraordinary deities and stories.

Ever since ancient times, man has also been fascinated by the sky, the sun, the moon, and what lies beneath the cosmos. In ancient times, they attached supernatural meanings to the sun, the moon, and the stars. As civilization developed, there was an increasing interest in astronomy. Early astronomers managed to discover and name many stars that were visible to the human eye, as well as primitive telescopes. As more and more heavenly bodies were discovered, the more astounded mankind became of the universe’s vastness, and of the fact that many more unknown planets and stars must lie out there beyond their knowledge and comprehension.

Fortunately, as decades, centuries, and millennia passed, civilization reached even greater heights and more and more advanced technologies were being developed. Astronomers of the Middle Ages had by then developed some knowledge of the solar system, but of course their knowledge was still insufficient. They even were convinced that all of the planets, including the Sun, revolved around the Earth. Through further research, the geocentric model was rendered obsolete by the heliocentric model proposed by Copernicus. This model encountered a lot of opposition, especially by the Church, when Copernicus first proposed it.

Around a thousand years ago, people believed that the Earth was flat and that the Sun revolved around it. Of course, we now know better. But during those early times, those facts were considered the ABSOLUTE TRUTH. In Stephen Hawking’s The Universe, we learn the challenges faced by the proponents of the Big Bang theory. Einstein, the most famous scientist and genius in the world, rejected the Big Bang theory and the idea that the universe was constantly expanding at first. Hubble eventually made the Big Bang theory the accepted universe creation theory through his telescopes. But just how long will this theory constitute as the dominant paradigm? This just goes to show that the theories and the things that we consider true change with the times. Who knows, in a hundred years we may have a completely different theory of the creation of the universe, a theory completely different from the Big Bang!