Science shows and websites often explore wild ideas about the cosmos, like multiverses or the possibility that we’re living in a computer simulation. Unlike reliable measurements — such as Mars’ rotation, which is constant and observable — cosmology relies heavily on models built from limited data. Claims like the universe becoming transparent 379,000 years after the Big Bang sound precise but are rooted in theory. With 96% of the universe made up of mysterious dark matter and dark energy, and the rest possibly infinite, our observations cover only a tiny portion. As a result, cosmology builds layered assumptions that frequently shift, like when scientists thought the universe’s expansion was slowing in 1997 — only to find the opposite a year later.
Cosmology models
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NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
