Topic: Spectacular cosmic discovery hailed

[Simon]

Scientists say they have extraordinary new evidence to support a Big Bang Theory for the origin of the Universe.

Researchers believe they have found the signal left in the sky by the super-rapid expansion of space that must have occurred just fractions of a second after everything came into being.

It takes the form of a distinctive twist in the oldest light detectable with telescopes.

The work will be scrutinised carefully, but already there is talk of a Nobel.

"This is spectacular," commented Prof Marc Kamionkowski, from Johns Hopkins University.

"I've seen the research; the arguments are persuasive, and the scientists involved are among the most careful and conservative people I know," he told BBC News.

The breakthrough was announced by an American team working on a project known as BICEP2.

This has been using a telescope at the South Pole to make detailed observations of a small patch of sky.

The aim has been to try to find a residual marker for "inflation" - the idea that the cosmos experienced an exponential growth spurt in its first trillionth, of a trillionth of a trillionth of a second.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-26605974

[Clive]

This is indeed a real breakthrough.  For 20 years after the Big Bang theory came out, scientists couldn't understand why the Universe appeared to be the same in every direction.  In 1980 astronomer Alan Guth came up with a preposterous idea that for the first fraction of a second, the Universe expanded at a much faster rate and this was known as 'inflation'.  Many people were skeptical and considered it to be no more than a fudge.  It was then abandoned for some years but later made a comeback.  I have to admit I was not a believer of the theory but it now seems inflation is correct after all.  It's a bizarre theory and shows how little we understand about the Universe!

[Simon]

It's all, literally, unimaginable. 

[daveeb]

A trillion trillion trillionth of a second is a  remarkably short space of time, how on earth anyone can calculate that something happens at this point is incredible.

[Simon]

And even more incredible when you consider the size of the 'object' in question. 

[sam]

and I thought they'd never find it!

[Clive]

Me neither!  A member of our astronomical society did his PhD on inflation at Queen Mary and Westfield after which he couldn't get a job in astronomy.  He now works for the Met Office.   

[sam]

Wrong kind of inflation, obviously. Needs to stop blowing up the auto pilot.

[Clive]