The Big Bang Theory is one of the more interesting areas of science, and still a huge mystery to everyone – but it seems that we’re getting closer and closer to unveiling the truth, as our technology and understanding of science are evolving. And while we have some relatively firmly established notions about the event, more information comes out on a regular basis, that sometimes contradicts what we already know. Case in point, in 2014 scientists came across what they described as the first evidence of the Big Bang Theory, with a study that was met with a lot of controversy. And now, a little more light has been shed on the situation, as it seems that the initial interpretations weren’t exactly correct.
Scientists attached to the European Space Agency’s Planck Satellite, claimed that what was originally believed to be gravitational waves caused by cosmic inflation, was actually mere space dust. The original report about the supposed waves claimed that scientists had managed to detect gravitational waves resonating through space, which were apparently clear evidence of the Big Bang, which supposedly occurred 13.8 billion years ago.
And in September, new data came out, which indicated that emissions of polarized space dust were actually more common than we previously believed, and they could also be the explanation in this case. Researchers joined forces with the scientists from BICEP2, and used their cumulative data to organize a major study which then discovered that the same effect can be produced by interstellar dust in the Milky Way.
In the end, the conclusion that was drawn was that it cannot be said with absolute certainty that the phenomenon being observed has anything to do with cosmic inflation. It’s much more likely that it’s just space dust at this point, and all evidence seems to point in that direction right now.
However, researchers also went on to say that the issue with cosmic inflation is still a very complicated one, and there’s still a lot left to discuss and uncover. It’s entirely possible that there’s a lot of truth to the theory, but we’ll need more research before anything can be said for sure – and there’s a lot of unconfirmed data to go through that could give us more answers as well, so it’s a matter of time at this point. It’s still a possibility that the gravitational wave signal exists somewhere out there, and the search to uncover it continues. But until then, those who were quick to get excited by the news from 2014 should probably cool down their enthusiasm right now and wait for a more confident confirmation that reveals the actual truth.