Astronomy
Cosmic Inflation: The Rapid Expansion After the Big Bang
Quick fact
Cosmic inflation occurred in a fraction of a second, expanding the universe by a factor of at least 10^26—that's like a grain of sand instantly swelling to the size of the observable universe.
Why this is interesting
You know the Big Bang started the universe, but did you know it wasn't a steady expansion? The very early universe underwent an unimaginably fast growth spurt that solved major puzzles.