Introduction

My name is Joseph Smidt and this is my first blogging experience. I have named the blog "The Eternal Universe" since I am on the road to becoming a cosmologist and my favorite model for the universe is the Eternal Inflation Model. Decades of ever increasing experimental evidence concur that the observable universe as we know it sprang from an incredibly small, hot and dense region of space. In fact, there is substantial experimental evidence that, about 13.7 billion years ago, the entire observable universe was smaller than a baseball and inflated into what we see today. According to classical general relativity, the results we see lead inevitably to the conclusion that the universe sprang from an initial singularity. We call this the "Big Bang."

If however classical general relativity is extended to a quantum theory of gravity, then it is possible that the universe inflated from a very small quantum patch, not a singularity. Where did this quantum patch come from? The Eternal Inflation Model predicts it resided in another universe from which this universe emerged. It turns out, if you do the quantum math, that if you allow the universe enough time to exist, a small patch of the quantum fields that exist throughout the universe will eventually inflate and create a new universe. After the quantum fields inflate to sufficient sizes, they actually have the ability to gravitationally collapse and form galaxies, stars and planets which allow life to form and exist. It truly is a wondrous thing and the cycle continues in one big eternal round.

I really think I will find blogging a pleasurable experience. I will admit however that I know it can be a little dangerous. It seems when people share their opinions publicly, they are setting themselves up to offend someone or something. Hopefully I will be able to avoid such calamities.

Again, I wanted to start a blog because I think it will be fun. I will enjoy posting things and hope to build some good friendships with people around the web. May we all remember that we live in this great eternal universe together, so lets make the most out of it. May everyone have a great Thanksgiving weekend.

-- Joseph Smidt


Picture on Top: Our Universe. Yes all the dots are galaxies, our universe is that big, and even bigger. :)

Picture on Bottom: image of atoms taken by IBM.

The inflated quantum fields not only gave rise to the the vast cosmos that we see in telescopes, they also form the atoms are bodies are composed of!