Quantum cosmology uses quantum physics to understand the universe at a quantum scale, including the state of the universe at the time of the Big Bang. It allows scientists to predict the future of the universe and may provide a path around the problem of examining the origins of the universe with general physics. It is a new field with more questions than answers but has attracted some of the brightest minds in physics.
Quantum cosmology is a branch of theoretical physics that attempts to understand the universe at a quantum, rather than a classical, scale. While it may seem absurd at first to describe something fundamentally as large as the universe through a branch of physics that typically focuses on the world of the microscopic, quantum cosmology can actually help explain the major questions that underlie understanding the universe. . One of the primary goals of quantum cosmology is to explain the state of the universe at the time of the Big Bang, since many properties of the universe can be explained by understanding the origins of the system.
To understand quantum cosmology, it is first of all essential to have a basic understanding of quantum physics. While classical physics considers the realm of larger objects, such as planets, solid objects, and anything that can be seen with the naked eye, quantum mechanics deals with the realm of atomic and subatomic particles and waves. In many cases, quantum-scale objects behave according to rules that seem quite different from those of macroscopic objects. However, some physicists believe that the behavior of larger objects corresponds to the rules of quantum mechanics; thus large bodies, such as the universe, can be better understood if they can be described on a quantum level.
The key area of inquiry in quantum cosmology is the behavior and state of the universe immediately after the Big Bang. Since questions about origin can’t be answered through observation, the general means of developing theories is to look at the current state of the universe, then extrapolate back to the Big Bang to find out how the process started. Ideally, knowledge of the origins of the universe obtained through quantum cosmology will allow scientists to predict, with a high degree of probability, the future of the universe.
Some physicists have embraced quantum cosmology because it allows a path around the enormous problem created by examining the origins of the universe with general physics. According to Stephen Hawking, among others, the universe likely began as a singularity, around which the laws of general physics are known to break. For any hope of accurately understanding post-Big Bang conditions, quantum physics may be preferable because it is not known to be subject to a similar breakdown near a singularity.
Quantum cosmology is a relatively new branch of theoretical physics, dating back only to the mid-20th century. Being such a new field, it naturally includes many more questions than answers about the origins and behavior of the universe. However, this fascinating field has attracted some of the brightest minds in physics and looks poised to enable significant discoveries over the next few centuries.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
