The origins of the universe

The cosmic wave background and the search for quantum gravity Since we are busy in our daily lives filled with work, family, the cost of living, health, and any form of entertainment, no matter how simple, we might get it amidst all these distractions, it is natural to consider cosmology as irrelevant, far from our daily life by 13.8 billion years of time and space. However, by ignoring cosmology, we are doing ourselves a disservice. The story of the universe is our story — it describes how the universe came into existence so that it could contain galaxies, stars, planets, and life, and our origins are hidden within that story, obscured by the dust of time. Our ability to question on a broader scale, where we came from, and where we are going, allows us to explore some of the deepest concepts we are likely to embrace. So whatever is occupying your mind, pause for a moment and think about how you got there. Look beyond your birth and the birth of the generations before you. Look further back than the birth of our planet, beyond the stars that lived before the sun began to shine. As Carl Sagan once said, “To make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” Perhaps the origin of the universe, and the question of its ultimate fate, are the greatest mysteries of all. And who doesn’t love mysteries? Every human society throughout history has tried to answer these questions through the lens of its culture, myths, and beliefs. Now, in the twenty-first century, we address these questions through science, with the wonder of precise observation combined with theories developed by some of the brightest minds of our era.