Questions I dread: How did the universe start, and what’s space-time?

THERE are two questions that I considerably dread when speaking science to the general public. And, sadly, they’re reasonably frequent, as a result of they’re attention-grabbing to everybody, myself included.

The primary is: “What was there before the beginning of the universe?” The second: “What is space-time?” You would possibly assume that I might truly relish the chance to reply such queries as a result of they go to the guts of what theoretical cosmologists like me do. It’s actually within the job description, which I usually inform individuals is to attempt to perceive the origin and evolution of space-time and all the things inside it. …