Alan Guth
Proposed the theory of cosmic inflation, a modification of the Big Bang theory.
Most quoted
"If you ask where the energy for the Big Bang came from, the answer from inflation is that gravitational energy can be negative, and it can exactly cancel the positive energy of matter."
— from Lecture
"The inflationary universe theory says that the universe began as a tiny speck of false vacuum, which then inflated exponentially to become the enormous universe we see today."
— from Scientific paper/lecture
"The universe is like a giant puzzle, and we're slowly putting the pieces together. But sometimes we find a piece that doesn't fit, and then we have to start all over again."
— from Lecture
All quotes by Alan Guth (423)
Inflation is a very powerful idea, and it's a very simple idea. It's just the idea that the early universe underwent a period of exponential expansion.
The universe is the ultimate free lunch.
The inflationary universe is a theory that explains why the universe is so big, so flat, and so uniform.
The most important thing about inflation is that it provides a causal mechanism for generating the large-scale structure of the universe.
Inflation is a paradigm shift in cosmology.
The universe could have started from literally nothing, as long as there was a tiny bit of quantum fluctuation.
Inflation is not just a theory; it's a framework for understanding the early universe.
The beauty of inflation is that it solves so many problems at once.
Before inflation, cosmology was a collection of interesting ideas. After inflation, it became a predictive science.
The universe is much bigger than we thought, and it's much older than we thought, and it's much more interesting than we thought.
Inflation is a very robust theory. It's hard to kill.
The idea of inflation came to me in a flash, but it took me a long time to work out the details.
Science is a process of asking questions and trying to find answers.
The universe is a fascinating place, and we're just beginning to understand it.
The most exciting thing about science is that there's always something new to discover.
Inflation is a theory that has stood the test of time.
The universe is a quantum mechanical system, and we have to understand it in those terms.
Inflation is a very elegant solution to a lot of problems in cosmology.
The universe is a place of wonder and mystery.
Inflation is a theory that has been confirmed by observation.
Contemporaries of Alan Guth
Other Physicss born within 50 years of Alan Guth (1947).