Astronomy
Cosmic Inflation
Quick fact
Inflation lasted only about 10^-36 seconds to 10^-32 seconds, yet expanded the universe by a factor of at least 10^26—turning a quantum speck into a vast, uniform expanse.
Why this is interesting
You've heard of the Big Bang—but what if the universe underwent a brief, faster-than-light expansion right after? This cosmic 'inflation' solves a few baffling puzzles about the cosmos we see today.