Big Bang theory

Template:Stub The Big Bang is a theory that the Universe expanded outwards from a very hot, dense state approximately 14 billion years ago; an expansion which continues today. It is the most popular theory about the origin of the Universe, widely accepted in the scientific community. It was first proposed by Georges-Henri Lemaitre. More evidence for the Big Bang was found by Edwin Hubble. Later George Gamow predicted that the Big Bang would leave an observable microwave background radiation. This radiation was subsequently discovered by Bell Labs and found to be close to that predicted by Gamow (Gamow predicted a background radiation level equivalent to a 3 K black body object, and the observed level is that of a 2.725 K body).

The Genesis account of creation begins "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and God said, 'let there be light', and Lo, there was light." Some have interpreted this as figurative description of the Big Bang as understood by current cosmologists; in this way, the Big Bang theory can be seen as a validation of biblical text. However, Young-Earth creationists hotly contest the Big Bang Theory, citing the Bible, they believe the Universe is far younger than 14 billion years. Instead, they use patriarchal dating to estimate the age of the Earth to be around 6,000 years.