What If the Big Bang Never Happened?

The Big Bang is the reigning explanation for our universe’s origin—but what if it’s wrong? This episode dives into cosmic controversies and the theories that challenge everything we thought we knew.

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Credits:
What If the Big Bang Never Happened?
Episode 730.1; July 6, 2025
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images
Music Courtesy of Epidemic Sound http://epidemicsound.com/creator

Chapters
0:00 Intro
1:26 Why Do We Believe in the Big Bang?
4:48 Common Criticisms of the Big Bang
5:11 The Horizon Problem
8:05 The Flatness Problem
12:16 The Monopole Problem
14:08 Dark Energy and Complexity Creep
14:45 The Singularity Problem
15:33 Steady State Theory
18:36 Plasma Cosmology
19:55 Conformal Cyclic Cosmology (CCC)
21:06 Emergent Universe & Braneworld Scenarios
22:00 Quantum Graphity & Causal Set Theory
23:05 Eternal Inflation
23:42 Simulation Hypothesis
24:38 Conclusions