Alan Guth - Why is an Inflationary Universe so Astounding?

The very early universe likely underwent a period of enormous expansion called "inflation." This revolutionary theory stunned cosmology. It solved knotty problems of universal structure, but it also opened vast new vistas of the entire cosmos, filled with multiple universes. Here's the story of the discovery of inflation, told first-person by its founders.
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[@garywilson3042]

To this day, Alan Guth will go down in history for being among the likes of Hubble and Galileo.

[@PMA65537]

Also 3:10 for thinking 1E-17 has 37 zeroes after the decimal instead of 36.

[@athamas1294]

Except now most scientists think that inflation field is just bullshit and it was higgs boson which caused the inflation

[@pulkitbhardwaj3608]

That would be roger penrose.

[@RobertsMrtn]

You're joking, aren't you?

[@MaloPiloto]

I agree, Gary. An amazing man….

[@user-ck6yl6qb2g]

The interviewer is very good! Kudos.

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Dr Alan Guth is a rock star. I learned a lot about questions I have about the universe. He was able to explain very complex ideas in a way that I could follow along and understand.

[@thingsiplay]

"Dr Alan Guth is a rock star." Nice!

[@MaloPiloto]

So true, James!

[@MegaLotusEater]

Impressive that Stephen King can speak so authoritatively about astrophysics

[@lysanderofsparta3708]

Who knows? They may actually be the same person. Ever see the two of them together? I didn't think so. Guth is also the same age as King.

[@maxpower252]

Same thing with Ralph Fiennes (aka Juan Maldacena).

[@Buzz_Kill71]

That would make sense...a few theists and the occasional physicist think string theory (and by extension, inflation theory) is as fictional as King's "The Dark Tower" series. 😂😂😂

[@paulg444]

Alan is a surprisingly humble man. Two great guys that make a great video together !

[@jareknowak8712]

Yep, mr. Guth is a living legend, yet still humble man. Unique man in todays world.

[@johnjeffreys6440]

@@jareknowak8712 none of them are humble, but narcissicts. They only appear to be humble.

[@jareknowak8712]

@@johnjeffreys6440 I get a different impression, I don't know why You think so.

[@johnjeffreys6440]

@@jareknowak8712 It’s a generalization because for anybody to think they can just answer the questions of the universe like infinity and eternity are full of themselves.

[@jareknowak8712]

@@johnjeffreys6440 Now i understand what You mean, in this case i can partially agree with You. But there is nothing wrong or unusual in having own opinion on something, every word or idea is just a representation of our "ego", and this is clear for the both sides/people in discussion. Excuse my English.

[@onlyguitar1001]

This is mind blowing, what a genius Alan Guth is.

[@v3le]

some people say: if you can't explain it simply you don't understand it well enough

[@edisonpiatelli6993]

Simply, the human brain is incredibly powerful.

[@ken431000]

oh i wish

[@135792468101214]

Donald J Trump claps in the background

[@dannybrook3611]

I believe in Alan!

[@oytgrubbs9172]

I find it astounding that there is no evidence that shows the universe does not extend forever. We are limited by what we can sense within the confines of the speed of light. In the concept of indefinite space, what we see is minuscule.

[@berndp3426]

I actually believe this postulation of Mr. Guth because otherwise the acceleration of inflation (expansion) can not be well explained. Indeed. The volume into which the upcoming matter (that did not exist right after the first explosion but only in form of energy, probably protomatter or particles) will later expand, has to be come into existence some time before that. And here it starts off. So, there is time needed in the first place to "blow up" a space (-bubble) to expand something into. Spacetime is growing first at an unbelievable rate (we had a singularity that is going out of balance, and the next stable state of balance it seeks for is its total expansion). And according to how this changes its state in the first conversion, it expands into a vast volume, and very quick. The volume of the entire space entity - or "the expansion" - a term that I use entirely independent from Mr. Guth (for describing not only the oberservable matter-filled "universe" itself, and just to distinguish it from this in my personal understanding and as well for allowing other potential universes to be populated into it if existing since string theory allows for it) is therefor a mindnumbing, staggering size of many sextillions of lightyears across. That is where it has arrived at the point when our actual universe started to form initially from that level of energy which allowed to form finally such thing as "matter" as we know it.

[@gyanbhatta4598]

absolute genius...

[@LucAnderssen]

Pretty fantastic!!!!

[@ameremortal]

Alan seems to have he best insight of them all.

[@motherofallemails]

Can't believe inflation theory is still going strong, it's too messy to be probable. Eternal expansion is neater.

[@firstal3799]

It's nit understood properly so few chakkenge it. Let him have a few more decades of fun. We gave a dull science community.

[@franklinhaut]

Great content, world need more of these thinking minds.

[@fidrewe99]

How can the total energy of the universe remain zero when dark energy is proportional to the size of the universe? Dark energy is thought not to follow energy conservation (because there is no symmetry of time translation).

[@garywilson3042]

It can not be understated just how clever, and insightful this man is, His contributions to mankind's development will echo through time.

[@Aluminata]

Why is the idea of the universe starting out homogeneous less plausible than the way out, fantastic, unbelievable expansion?

[@garywilson3042]

This is an incredible insight and should be shared with everyone, assuming it is almost certainly true. Edit: I meant to say an “incredibly insightful video”

[@firstal3799]

Almost certainly really?

[@youtube.scientist]

Excellent explanation on how the universe can be nucleated with only a small amount of energy.

[@enlilannunaki9064]

When is Guth getting a Nobel Prize? Genius.

[@harparkrat1]

Inflation is a very important theory because explained whay the temperature is constant in every part of the universe, but still needs to be perfected. If the energy is zero because the positive energy of expansion is neutralized by the gravity, why the gravity was not present in the first place ? Even if the inflation lasted little time, initially the energy was positive otherwise the expansion would be not possible. Gravity appeared later on and other energies appeared even later.

[@realcygnus]

regardless of its ultimate/future truth/correctness......inflation was a critical idea.......I dig Guth from way back !

[@jamesfarrell8339]

He is a rock star in my book. He totally changed how we understand the big bang theory. He is a professor at MIT University and got his PhD from MIT. These are the people who should have important position in our government and not the incompetent idiots who are in charge today. War is not the answer.

[@RickDelmonico]

Variation at the cosmic scale has large regions of homogeneity or voids. At the scale of galaxies there is more fluctuation and many more nested hierarchies within the region of the galaxies. As we continue to finer scales, the nesting of variation becomes denser and denser. The denser the region, the deeper the levels of description. In other words, how much information is needed to describe a particular region of space/time? The ratio of the homogeneous regions to the regions with lots of variation is very high. This is a fractal nesting of information. It is not the digital horizon that prevents Zeno's paradox, it is the dithering of self referential noise.

[@NeverCryWolf64]

Mind. Blown.

[@dougg1075]

And after a very long time the universe starts to become intelligent, not throughout creation but sparks of intelligence through beings ( whatever that is) and contemplates it’s own creation which is also important to the sparks ( is)

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

After the 100 doublings at 10 power -37, inflation expansion reduced to cosmological constant expansion due to the matter created?

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Could there have been a cosmic inflation, (perhaps from previous old universe that ripped apart or something else) present at time of singularity / tiny speck from which universe came that then caused the singularity / tiny speck to expand? Then as the singularity / tiny speck was expanding through inflation, the build up of gravity could have slowed down the inflation until the start of big bang expansion?

[@eswn1816]

no

[@mnrvaprjct]

this is called cyclic cosmology

[@mickmalkemus5019]

It's not a free lunch. It had to start from something equal and opposite to it, such as all black holes coming together until two black holes remain, merge, and big bang again.

[@stuartbromley3513]

This is too simplistic, before the big bang there were no laws of physics that needed to be obeyed

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Were quantum fields produced in universe during inflation expansion as universe cooled?

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Was inflation expansion at 10 power -37 doubling size of universe 100 times uniform? Since the universe was cooling during inflation expansion, would a uniform doubling size of universe at 10 power -37 for 100 times be better explained by an external inflation stretching out the universe?

[@cole2839]

It wasn't cooling. When it doubled each time they think the inflationary material also doubled. The 100 doublings happened in a fraction of a second and then inflation stopped.

[@edwardgalliano9247]

The answer is obvious. We are in Euclidean space inside an elliptic plane. It's just light is red-shifted by elliptic gravity.

[@waldieschmidtke6293]

If stars create space & Space expanding is the product of time ....

[@TheLionFarm]

11:18 Amazing 👍🏾 basically it's like concluding all physics currently in this settle time would be impossible by naturally time traveling couldn't make nor manage to form the harmonic order seen in creation, as even the "big bang theory" models it was chaos Yet chaos never makes order

[@ericsonnen5248]

I guess if gravity is a negative to energy and all sums to zero for energy, then it seems easier to think of nothing

[@jaapongeveer6203]

Can someone explain how this theory of inflation is possible when matter cannot go faster than the speed of light. Furthermore, as gravity is the weakest of the 4 forces, even if there was repulsive gravity, would it not be the inverse of gravity and also be weak?

[@wessonsmithjr.6257]

In the theory of inflation, it's space that is moving, not the matter. The matter coalesce around the newly formed space.

[@jamesfarrell8339]

@@wessonsmithjr.6257 Thank you for that explanation because I was thinking the same thing. Very well put. Simple yet elegant.

[@firstal3799]

They invented an arbitrary limit to begin with and then violate it through semantics

[@stuartbromley3513]

Beyond the limit of the visible universe spacetime is expanding faster than c so we will never be able to be aware of what is going on out there

[@stuartbromley3513]

@@firstal3799 Er, no

[@Aluminata]

matter slows time. matter as dense as that associated with the BB would cause, what to locations not under its influence, might be 10 to the minus 37 seconds, to pass over millions of years.

[@massimoacerbis8138]

Interesting assumption

[@jamesruscheinski8602]

Would be great to have a better picture of dark energy, is it flat, sphere or other? If a sphere, how large and what happens at edge of dark energy sphere, as universe could curve at edge of possible dark energy sphere?

[@operasinger2126]

More questions than answers?

[@crushedz]

5.01-6.15 gravitation vs matter =-- vs+

[@luigicantoviani323]

Because it is based on a million assumptions that makes it impossible to verify.

[@thingsiplay]

But the measurements and predictions are very accurate and fit together. What can't be verfiied?

[@DavidBrown-om8cv]

"... total energy is always conserved ..." Does Milgrom's MOND suggest that Newtonian-Einsteinian gravitational theory is slightly wrong? Google "kroupa milgrom", "mcgaugh milgrom", "sanders milgrom", "scarpa milgrom", "finzi milgrom", and "fredkin wolfram milgrom".

[@dtaylor091489]

what if inflation had taken over before the universe had time to reach a uniform temperature?

[@BritishBloke66]

Maybe it did - in another pocket universe.

[@martinsupinda]

If there is a microwave background why isn’t there a radio wave background even older?

[@dougg1075]

And out of that expansion a Pink Floyd Album was made.

[@marksevel7696]

I've just got into a Pink Floyd tribute band. Well trippy playing those songs!!! I connected to the universe like never before

[@EllisHovey]

If the universe is expanding, what is it expanding inside of?

[@stuartbromley3513]

A big plastic tub

[@corb00]

why did inflation stop, assuming it took place? why does new matter not come into existence now?

[@captainobvious2435]

Didn't they say that instead of the expansion of the universe decreasing or in a steady state they found it increasing?

[@TheGreatAlan75]

The universe was a billion times smaller than a proton ?!? FUCKING PROVE IT !!! thaaaaaaats what I thought

[@PrivateSi]

Why does the Big Bang have to be inflationary, why is acceleration needed? Why can't it just be an explosion of a ball of matter-energy in pre-existing 3D space and 1D time, with the energy of the explosion, and thus the speed of ejected matter-energy decreasing over the duration of the explosion... That is, all ejected matter retains its initial velocity due to coservation of momemtum in a vacuum but the initial speed of ejected matter is slower longer into the explosion... How long the explosion took is irrelevant.... This forms an ever widening sphere of material with an also growing, empty core.. The empty core grows slowly while the surface of the sphere, the outer edge of the universe grows quickly... The universe is thus getting thicker and thicker as it progresses and wherever you look things will be moving away from each other because the universe is both expanding radially, and at a faster rate the further out it is. Gravity is overcome in the forwards-backward direction from the explosion source, but not sideways with matter-energy exploded at the same time as it. This pulls matter-energy into filaments and if they haven't already, quarks and electrons form... Gravity swirls regions of filaments into solar systems and galaxies..

[@martian-sunset]

I want to say something to Mr. Guth and have him look at me and say "Exactly!". Probably not gonna happen.

[@howardrobinson4938]

Grand Unified Theory (GUT). Alan Guth (Grand Unified Theory Hypothesis.)

[@corydude2008]

Behold! The mysteries of the damn Universe!!! Lol

[@kartikchandrabarik2637]

is it explain life after death?

[@johnnyaxon_]

It explain death after life

[@tsiralex]

i real prefer Roger Penrose's explanation. Inflation never happens.

[@lenfirewood4089]

Bingo!! :)

[@Raydensheraj]

I think Guths explanation is more valid then the cyclic model... Lindes chaotic inflation also has strong points.

[@lenfirewood4089]

@@Raydensheraj Penrose's explanation works without having to violate physics Guth's doesn't.

[@Zayden.]

Paul Steinhardt and Neil Turok also have more reasonable ideas as far as how to explain the observed phenomenon of post big bang.

[@themanofshadows]

@@lenfirewood4089 Who’s to say that our current understanding of physical laws is correct?

[@dougg1075]

God is amazing

[@stuartbromley3513]

He just likes to be called Alan

[@everyday4688]

What weakness does the inflation theory has?

[@robertflynn6686]

He can't explain which came first by his hypothesis.. gravity or inflation. So something is missig.

[@AndrewBarbacki]

One gram of what???

[@poiuyt975]

Matter ;-)

[@firstal3799]

Manure

[@ChumbisDilliams]

Why does cosmology tend to attract the ignorant so powerfully? Do you really think that since you don't have a clear impression of these vast universal dances with your dumb ape eyes and ears, that makes it totally impossible? Instead maybe consider that centuries of careful, mindful, public research and progress might have a teensy bit of merit.

[@flatearthcontinuum1188]

lmao You have not tested a single thing personally.You have NO credibility what so ever.

[@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern]

I know experimentation and testable could be used to define as science, I favor the clarifying position as science is to match prediction to observation. This allows for inclusion of Astronomy and Quantum Physics, where you can’t always commit an actionable experiment, but you can compare expectation to observation. This may be a nuance of explanation or just linguistics, but Einstein largely did “thought experiments” and compared to observation, and what he did was surely Science (capital C).

[@AndyCrawford_NorfolkWestern]

Star Trek Theory That’s interesting, I can’t disagree, I think it’s a subjective perspective. I see religion as belief in that not seen/observed, I see science as that which is supportable by observation, regardless of weather it’s human initiated causation to observe the effect of or weather is naturally occurring of which we observe. But I’m entirely willing to accept your right to your instincts and opinion, but my instincts are still as I suggest. If it’s provable by observation it is not naturally religion or faith, but observation of the natural world is science.

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Not really sure where you are going here. But okay?

[@melgross]

Chumbis this is a major philosophical question. The problem is that math, which is the basis of science in so many ways, can explain, and predict reality. However. We have come to the point where this math is predicting a reality that we may not be able to test. If so is the math science, or philosophy? Inflation seems nonsensical to some, but a perfect explanation to others. Those are physicists. As with many other areas of science (and religion, etc,), there are disagreements. The centuries you speak of, are to a great extent, irrelevant. It only been since the mid 1800’s that work with true scientific meaning began.

[@TheGreatAlan75]

To say consciousness is fundamental and materialism is wrong, because we don't have an equation for consciousness ..... Is no different to saying God must've created the universe Because we don't know how else it could exist..

[@abolishnato]

Religious people: I don't understand quantum mechanics or cosmology and have been indoctrinated by superstitious dogma my entire life. Therefore, I know more than Alan Guth.

[@Raydensheraj]

These "brilliant" debaters ( lol ) can't even cite their ten commandments but understand the concept of Inflation. They have figured out the mysteries of reality without ever reading one Book - without any evidence. Because their high school dropouts or, never left the US town preacher tells them only a Christian God exists... Evidence? Pahhh... Shut up and put money in this cup ohhh and Kent Hovind is the Albert Einstein of Religion.

[@floppyskynet4362]

Religious people: I have no clue what this is about, so god created it. Though I also have no clue about god...

[@krishyyfan5153]

atheist people...--the universe is an accident.. But then discovers that the universe is "Fine Tuned"...LOL

[@floppyskynet4362]

@@krishyyfan5153 Dude you are the accident here, not the universe. Beside keep lying to yourself, and spare us your lies...

[@dazedmaestro1223]

@@floppyskynet4362 , says the atheist who BELIEVES there's no god...

[@johnburke568]

Not terribly crazy about inflationary theory but Dr. Guth seems like a great guy. Humble and gentle

[@queendoubleboy]

📀💝

[@TheGreatAlan75]

GOD MADE US. he pays my water bill when I can't afford it He is a really swell guy.

[@mobiustrip1400]

WTF is that background?

[@dugar007]

Clark Kent

[@PaulHigginbothamSr]

Because it is incorrect. Where would the force come from for the propulsion of all that space/time? And what would the force look like? Fundamental first principals would not like such a force this large.

[@gregorychaffer3923]

So the size of the universe started out one gram

[@perezgerardo6624]

is hell a fairytale place where people that don't believe in god go after they die?

[@johnnyaxon_]

"Hell" is prison. Religion is about society

[@whatistruth560]

Myb start how God Created this complex like realty first then think from there, thanks.

[@arnorjonorvarsson6215]

shebang

[@jamesmagruder6452]

Wouldn't it make more sense if the universe had limited energy but inflationary theory of energy is till true. Energy is quantifiable and qualitative. Energy is moving away to become life. Origin of Complex life and organisms by reducing possible conflicts between cultures of aliens that evolve or die because of chaos. Diversity of genetics is intelligence. Thus, all races in one skin is the most evolved human because it is not inbreed.

[@jamesmagruder6452]

Why should one care if the universe is infinitely inflationary, all nature suggests systems of highly evolved organization. These Artificial Intelligence or emerging intelligence develop slowly over time and get incorporated back into programmable matter to be passed down to the next generation. The ultimate singularity collapses because of scarcity of life and life's mission is to spread and flourish like a flower. Flower is pretty because it doesn't last but a new better flower arises.

[@jamesmagruder6452]

last post

[@mjt2231]

I wish he would slow down a bit when he talks.

[@firstal3799]

Probably his high intelligence has created a somewhat dysfunctional personality

[@joegeorge5940]

Were was god ?

[@Raydensheraj]

Not yet made up by man... Yet.

[@jamesfarrell8339]

Two doors down from eternity. Then make a left.

[@Boulos-cb2un]

Joe George well in theory there isn’t a place where god is not.

[@firstal3799]

As a human concept. Other than that we have no idea. We cannot even identify any conception of God

[@firstal3799]

Lol

[@bruinflight1]

The backgrounds and camera movements in these videos are supremely distracting, annoying and generally awkward.

[@TheGreatAlan75]

This sounds like a bunch of bullshit to me. Theorizing about what happened at 10^-37 is...um... unprovable.

[@ferrariserena]

That "uhm" is annoying...

[@MattHanr]

Need Guth x Robert Kuhn erotic fan fic pls

[@firstal3799]

Dude!

[@capitalismblows]

BS piled higher and deeper for those who need the universe to have had a beginning no matter how preposterous. It would be a colossal waste of my time going into multitude of assumptions needed to even propose this fabrication.

[@stuartbromley3513]

No scientiest in the world believes the universe didnt have a beginning

[@ZeuzBluez]

I don't know which s weirder . cosmology theories like this or religious superstitious bs beliefs ?

[@firstal3799]

This is weird

[@glenemma1]

I wish these scientists would just admit that they haven't got a clue how our universe came into being.

[@thebaconized4733]

What? Did you not listen to the video? Just because there are mysteries that need solving does not mean they have no idea. This video is about the promising future if inflationary cosmology, and I indeed think that it explains quite a lot.

[@glenemma1]

Yes,there is always something which is promising...when I was at school the Big Bang Theory was so promising,then string theory etc. and now inflationary cosmology....its all just a dog chasing its tail.

[@TheGamingg33k]

You stupid shit, with better understanding of the world, the more theories will show up using the new evidence and ideas. This is how humanity moves forward. We started from the wheel now we are flying on planes. Same shit. Get off science videos if you think scientists will figure out instantly how the universe came to be. It requires not only solid proof theory but also irrefutable and repeatable experimenting.

[@Mastermindyoung14]

I wish glenemma1 would just admit that he/she hasn't got a clue how scientific inquisition and intellectual honesty works.

[@thebaconized4733]

glenemma1 Oh god. Big Bang, inflationary cosmology, and string theory are not mutually exclusive. That basically sums up how ignorant you are.

[@firstal3799]

His is the most bogus idea ever. Inflation theory turns out to be a most slavishly tied to slavish devotion to stereotypes and holy cows. Of physics.

[@MrAirJacobs]

I feel so sorry for these guys. You can see how far from the creator they’ve gone. They constantly refer to their ideas as amazing, fantastical, but neglect to see that God is the source of it all. What fool would bite the hand that feeds them?

[@stuartbromley3513]

Go and buy another AR 15