Page 65 - The Origin of Life and the Universe - International Conference 2016

The Origin of Life and the Universe

. / 3 / 3 More evidence for the Big Bang was forthcoming.
One piece had to do with the relative amounts of
hydrogen and helium in the universe. Observations
In 1948, George Gamov carried George Lema- indicated that the mix of these two elements in the
itre's calculations several steps further and came universe was in accord with theoretical calculations
up with a new idea concerning the Big Bang. If the of what should have been remained after the Big
universe was formed in a sudden, cataclysmic Bang. That drove another stake into the heart of
explosion, there ought to be a definite amount of the steady state theory because if the universe
radiation left over from that explosion. This radiation had existed for eternity and never had a beginning,
should be detectable and, furthermore, it should all of its hydrogen should have been burned into
be uniform throughout the universe. helium.
Within two decades, observational proof of Ga- Confronted by such evidence, the Big Bang gai-
mov's conjecture was forthcoming. In 1965, two ned the near-complete approval of the scientific
researchers by the name of Arno Penzias and Ro- world. In an article in its October 1994 issue, Sci-
bert Wilson discovered a form of radiation hitherto entific American noted that the Big Bang model
unnoticed. Called "cosmic background radiation", was the only one that could account for the constant
it was unlike anything coming from anywhere else expansion of the universe and for other observational
in the universe for it was results.
extraordinarily uniform. It Defending the steady-state
was neither localized nor theory alongside Fred Hoyle
did it have a definite sour- 1965 for years, Dennis Sciama
ce; instead, it was distri- described the final position
buted equally everywhere. they had reached after all
It was soon realized that the evidence for the Big Bang
this radiation was the echo theory was revealed:
of the Big Bang, still re- There was at that time a so-
verberating since the first mewhat acrimonious debate bet-
moments of that great exp- 1992 ween some of the proponents of
losion. Gamov had been the steady state theory and obser-
spot-on for the frequency vers who were testing it and, I
of the radiation was nearly think, hoping to disprove it. I played
the same value that sci- a very minor part at that time be-
entists had predicted it wo- cause I was a supporter of the ste-
uld be. Penzias and Wilson
were awarded a Nobel pri- 2003 ady state theory, not in the sense
ze for their discovery. that I believed that it had to be
In 1989, George Smoot true, but in that I found it so attractive
and his NASA team sent I wanted it to be true. When hostile
a satellite into space. Cal- observational evidence became to
led the "Cosmic Background The cosmic background radiation discovered come in, Fred Hoyle took a leading
Emission Explorer" (COBE), in 1965 by Penzias and Wilson is regarded as part in trying to counter this evidence,
it took only eight minutes for incontrovertible evidence of the Big Bang by and I played a small part at the side,
the sensitive instruments on the scientific world. also making suggestions as to how
board the satellite to detect and confirm the levels the hostile evidence could be answered. But as that evidence
of radiation reported by Penzias and Wilson. These
results conclusively demonstrated the existence piled up, it became more and more evident that the game
of the hot, dense form remaining from the explosion was up, and that one had to abandon the steady state theory.
out of which the universe came into being. Most (Stephen Hawking, Evreni Kucaklayan Karınca, 1993, p. 62-
scientists acknowledged that COBE had successfully 63)
captured the remnants of the Big Bang.
63