Georges Lemaître
He proposed the theory of the expanding universe and the 'primeval atom' hypothesis, later known as the Big Bang.
Most quoted
"If the world has begun with a single quantum, the notions of space and time would not have any meaning at the beginning; they would only begin to have a sensible meaning when the original quantum had been divided into a sufficient number of quanta. If this suggestion is correct, the beginning of the world happened a little before the beginning of space and time."
— from Nature, 'The Beginning of the World from the Point of View of Quantum Theory', 1931
"If the world has begun with a single quantum, the notions of space and time would not have any meaning at the beginning; they would only begin to have a sensible meaning when the original quantum had been divided into a sufficient number of quanta. If this is so, the beginning of the world happened a little before the beginning of space and time."
— from Nature, 1931
"If the world has begun with a single quantum, the notions of space and time would not have any meaning at the beginning; they would only begin to have a meaning when the original quantum had been divided into a sufficient number of quanta. If this is so, the beginning of the world happened a little before the beginning of space and time."
— from Nature, 'The Beginning of the World from the Point of View of Quantum Theory', 1931
All quotes by Georges Lemaître (411)
The evolution of the world can be compared to a display of fireworks that has just ended: some red embers are still smoldering, and the ashes are cooling. Standing on a well-chilled cinder, we can contemplate the fading suns, and try to recall the vanished brilliance of the origin of the worlds.
The universe is a sphere of which the center is everywhere and the circumference nowhere.
There is no place in the world for a 'creation' in the sense of a beginning of the world in time.
The primeval atom hypothesis is, I suppose, a philosophical one. It is a hypothesis of the beginning of the world.
The expansion of the universe is a fact, not a theory.
If there was a beginning, there must have been a cause.
The universe is not static; it is evolving.
The world is a single quantum, and its evolution is a quantum process.
The universe is expanding, and it is expanding from a very dense state.
The initial state of the universe was a single quantum, a 'primeval atom' containing all the mass-energy of the universe.
The expansion of the universe is a natural consequence of general relativity.
The universe is not eternal; it had a beginning.
The primeval atom was a highly unstable entity that rapidly disintegrated, giving rise to the expanding universe we observe today.
The universe is a cosmic egg that hatched.
The universe is a clock that was wound up at the beginning.
The universe is a grand experiment that began with a bang.
The universe is a dynamic entity, not a static one.
The universe is a continuous creation, not a one-time event.
The universe is a vast and complex system that is still evolving.
The universe is a testament to the power of natural laws.
Contemporaries of Georges Lemaître
Other Cosmologys born within 50 years of Georges Lemaître (1894–1966).