Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Are We Wrong About the Big Bang? Niayesh Afshordi

Sep 16, 2025
Guest
Niayesh Afshordi
Niayesh Afshordi, a professor of astrophysics at the Perimeter Institute and co-author of "Battle of the Big Bang," challenges our understanding of the universe’s origins. He questions the Big Bang as the definitive start of time and explores the intriguing concept of singularities, where our current theories break down. The discussion dives into the diverse interpretations of the Big Bang, the unresolved black hole information paradox, and the importance of observational science. Afshordi also highlights how funding influences scientific exploration.
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Big Bang As Our Memory Limit

  • The Big Bang marks where our observational 'memory' stops, not necessarily the absolute beginning of time.
  • Science thrives on uncertainty and uses observations to push back that boundary incrementally.
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What Scientists Mean By 'Big Bang'

  • Physicists use 'Big Bang' to mean different things, but consensus ties it to the hot, dense early phase supported by observations.
  • Whether time had a singular beginning or pre-Big Bang physics existed remains separate from that observational core.
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Singularity Means Theory Failure

  • A singularity signals theory breakdown, not a literal physical object to be proudly claimed.
  • It flags the need for a better theory (e.g., quantum gravity) to describe extreme conditions.
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