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15.9: Beyond the Big Bang

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    Why not other theories besides the Big Bang?

    There are some astronomers and scientists who do not believe the Big Bang is correct. Other theories have been proposed, including:

    • Oscillating Universe: the Universe expands and contracts regularly on an infinite basis. This is sometimes called the Big Bounce in deference to the Big Bang.
    • Steady State/Quasi-Steady State: the Universe is as it was and as it will always be… basically no changes. As matter disappears, more matter is ‘created’ to take its place.
    • Modification Of Newtonian Dynamics (MOND). Newton’s laws have changed over the life of the Universe.
    • Tired Light: Light loses energy.

    These theories and several others similar to these are supported by a very small minority of astronomers. Mostly you will see arguments against the Big Bang and in support of one of these theories.

    This page titled 15.9: Beyond the Big Bang was last modified on Wed, 23 Jul 2025 01:14:04 GMT and is shared under a CC BY 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Lumen Learning via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.