Astronomy › Section V · The Big Bang › Topic V.6
Inflation and the anthropic principle
The hot Big Bang explains a great deal, but not why the universe is so uniform or so close to flat. Inflation, a proposed burst of expansion in the first instant, offers an answer, while the anthropic principle asks why the universe allows us to exist at all. Both are at the edge of what science can test.
In this topic
- Two loose ends
- The horizon problem
- Worked example: how far apart were they?
- The flatness problem
- The inflationary hypothesis
- How inflation solves both problems
- Worked example: inflation flattens space
- Seeds and tests
- Four forces and unification
- Lucky accidents and the anthropic principle
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
This topic is part of Wuanberri Pro. Checking your access…