Muscat – In this context, Dr. Yousef Al Banai, a researcher in theoretical physics, opened a wide window into the world of cosmic physics during his discussion with Oman News Agency (ONA), highlighting modern theories and the role of scientific discoveries in understanding the beginning of the universe.
Dr. Al Banai affirms that the prevailing scientific theory regarding the universe’s origin is the Big Bang theory, which occurred approximately 14 billion years ago, giving rise to space, time, energy, and matter. However, he clarifies that the theory does not explain the very “moment of beginning” itself, but rather what happened after a millionth of a second following that moment. He notes that confusion between the “origin of the universe” as a scientific term and the “creation of the universe” as a philosophical and religious matter is common among the general public.

He adds that modern physics, particularly quantum mechanics and general relativity, has played a significant role in attempting to explain the universe’s origin. However, merging the two theories has not yet produced a unified model explaining the earliest beginnings. He describes the situation by stating, “There is still no convincing theory explaining what existed before the Big Bang—all we have are models and hypotheses under discussion.”

Regarding time, Al Banai indicates that it began with the universe’s emergence, confirming that the scientific direction attributes its progression to the principle of “entropy” or increasing disorder, which gives time its physical meaning. Concerning the universe’s expansion, he explained that astronomical observations have proven the universe is in a state of accelerated expansion, driven by a mysterious phenomenon known as ‘dark energy’.

Addressing the evidence supporting the Big Bang theory, he notes that the most prominent includes cosmic background radiation and the redshift in galaxy spectra—observational evidence that has confirmed the theory’s validity beyond doubt.

Dr. Al Banai emphasized the importance of modern telescopes like the James Webb Telescope, considering it a “window into the past” that enables scientists to see the earliest galaxies during their formation stages, much like how medical sonar detects foetal features.

As for questions that remain unanswered, he lists them as: the moment of beginning, dark matter, and dark energy, explaining that these issues require new scientific revolutions. Nevertheless, he anticipates a qualitative development by the mid-century with the potential detection of primordial gravitational waves, which would open new horizons for understanding the universe’s origin.

Reflecting on the human and epistemological dimension, Al Banai believes that “understanding the universe’s origin is not purely a scientific matter, but a comprehensive human endeavour,” clarifying that astronomy unites humanity more than any other science. He noted that Omani youth demonstrate a remarkable intellectual passion for theoretical sciences and philosophy, promising a bright future in this field.