Could Our Universe Have Collided With Another Universe Billions of Years Ago?

In recent decades, scientists have continually expanded their understanding of the origin and nature of the universe. One bold hypothesis is the possibility that our universe collided with another billions of years ago. According to Stephen Hawking, who spent years researching theoretical physics and cosmology, remnants of this event may exist in the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) – the faint signal believed to have emerged approximately 300,000 years after the Big Bang.

Hawking suggested that M-theory, an extension of string theory, could offer profound insights into how parallel universes operate. According to this theory, there are countless universes, each with distinct physical constants. These universes may interact and even collide with one another, leaving unique imprints that we can observe. One remarkable indication is the presence of concentric circles in the CMB, identified through data from NASA’s WMAP satellite.

Data from the WMAP satellite's cosmic microwave background radiation reveals anomalies that could serve as evidence of a collision between universes
Data from the WMAP satellite’s cosmic microwave background radiation reveals anomalies that could serve as evidence of a collision between universes

Dr. Roger Penrose, a theoretical physicist at the University of Oxford, further reinforced this hypothesis by proposing the model of Conformal Cyclic Cosmology (CCC). According to Penrose, the Big Bang is not the sole beginning of space and time but merely the start of a new “aeon.” He and his collaborator Vahe Gurzadyn from the Yerevan Physics Institute in Armenia believe that the circles within the CMB may be “traces” of gravitational waves generated when massive black holes collided in the previous aeon.

“The data from the cosmic microwave background suggests that the universe is not merely the result of a single Big Bang but could be a series of successive Big Bangs.” – Roger Penrose, University of Oxford, 2020.

However, this theory is not without controversy. One major issue lies in the random nature of temperature variations in the CMB. If the CCC hypothesis holds true, these temperature distributions should follow specific patterns. Critics, however, argue that they appear less uniform than expected. Additionally, the theory requires that particles lose their mass in the distant future, yet no experimental evidence currently supports such phenomena.

An artistic depiction of a Big Bang event continuing within a sequence of cosmic aeons
An artistic depiction of a Big Bang event continuing within a sequence of cosmic aeons

Despite ongoing debates, the hypothesis of inter-universe collisions opens a new pathway for exploring the cosmos. It not only sheds light on the multidimensional nature of space but also inspires imagination about the endless possibilities beyond the limits of our observable universe. Humanity’s curiosity and relentless pursuit of answers will continue to drive future research, bringing us closer to unraveling the mysteries of our origins and our place within this vast cosmos.

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