Scientists have proposed a new explanation for the Big Bang

Physicists at the University of Waterloo and the Perimeter Institute have proposed a new model for the origin of the universe that could change the perception of the Big Bang. This was reported on March 30 in the journal Science Daily.

The study was conducted by a group led by Professor of Physics and astronomy Niayesh Afshordi. Scientists have applied an approach called quadratic quantum gravity, a mathematically stable framework that remains correct even at extremely high energies comparable to the conditions of the universe's birth. Einstein's theory of general relativity, which works fine under normal conditions, ceases to describe reality at the point of the Big Bang.

"This work shows that the explosive early expansion of the universe can follow directly from a deeper theory of gravity. Instead of supplementing Einstein's theory with new elements, we found that rapid expansion occurs naturally if gravity is described in a consistent manner at ultrahigh energies," Afshordi said.

According to the researchers, most of the existing models of the Big Bang rely on general relativity, coupled with additional elements that are introduced in order for the theory to work. The new approach offers a more unified picture: the rapid early expansion of the universe, inflation, occurs naturally in it, without auxiliary assumptions. Inflation is a key cosmological concept explaining the large—scale structure of the universe.

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The authors see the special value of the model in its verifiability. The theory predicts a minimum level of primary gravitational waves, the smallest distortions of space—time that arose shortly after the Big Bang. Their detection will be possible in the course of future experiments.

"Although the model describes incredibly high energies, it provides clear predictions that today's experiments may be looking for,— Afshordi noted. "Such a direct connection between quantum gravity and real data is rare, and it's exciting."

On March 30, an international group of astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) recorded a unique energy burst of GRB 250702B, the duration of which was hundreds of times longer than the known explosions.

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