Was the Big Bang the Beginning? Reimagining Time in a Cyclic Universe

A universe that continually expands has long been the dominant cosmological framework. But a universe that undergoes cycles of expansion and contraction, perhaps for all time, has recently been analyzed mathematically, and its proponents claim that it provides a more convincing cosmological paradigm. Join leaders of this renegade approach as they make the case for a new kind of cosmology that reimagines time. The Big Ideas Series is supported in part by the John Templeton Foundation. Participants: Peter Galison Anna Ijjas Paul Steinhardt Moderator: Brian Greene SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS on this program through a short survey: 00:00 - Introduction 04:08 - Brian Greene Welcome 07:20 - The human urge to understand origins 15:39 - Early issues of the big bang 27:10 - The flatness problem 35:15 - If not the big bang what else could have happened? 40:44 - Resolving the problems of cyclic cosmology 54:30 - cyclic cosmology simulation 1:05:40 - How reliable are the results? 1:17: 10 - Does expanding space eventually contract? WSF Landing Page: - SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube Channel and “ring the bell“ for all the latest videos from WSF - VISIT our Website: - LIKE us on Facebook: - FOLLOW us on Twitter: #bigbang #cosmology #briangreene