PBS Spacetime did an episode on another method for measuring the Gravitational Wave Background (GWB)[0] which is using milli-second pulsar array to create a massive "LIGO".
Would be super interesting to confirm via independent method that GWB doesn't exist. If the implication for this is inflation is no longer viable that would be crazy/amazing pointing to new understandings.
This is quite interesting. As a theorist, I have 100% confidence in inflation. The problem of inflation is that there are too many variations on the idea, if we can begin to throw away at least some classes of models it is a big progress. But probably we will start seeing lots and lots of new models producing small r ratios ;-)
I'm currently reading "The big bang never happened" by Eric Lerner which makes a case for a plasma theory of the universe. Even though I'm a physicist by training I don't know enough about the subject to make an assessment.
He made a youtube series about it that is... well let's say he focused on the content rather than production value.
Eric Lerner is a writer not a physicist. We have no idea whether the universe had a beginning or not, it can't even be formulated as a testable scientific question. The observable universe expanded from 13.7 bya, when it was miniscule, until today. That's all we know.
Here's what is actually known explained for the interested layperson by a competent physicist:
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[ 3.3 ms ] story [ 14.6 ms ] threadWould be super interesting to confirm via independent method that GWB doesn't exist. If the implication for this is inflation is no longer viable that would be crazy/amazing pointing to new understandings.
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9L_gNogNes
Not "crazy", but completely and utterly expected.
As there has never been a shred of physical evidence for inflation and it is a vague speculation, it's almost certainly not physically true.
They just need to keep squeezing and they will find the truth eventually - there are zero viable inflationary theories.
Why would you have 100% confidence in a physical theory with zero physical evidence?
>The problem of inflation is that there are too many variations on the idea
Yes, vague speculations not proven to have any connection with physical reality tend to be like this - see also the 10^500 string theories.
Inflation will not turn out to be a physical phenomenon. There is no reason to expect so.
He made a youtube series about it that is... well let's say he focused on the content rather than production value.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KkhRibBllU&list=PLBg1fqjrUV...
Here's what is actually known explained for the interested layperson by a competent physicist:
http://backreaction.blogspot.com/2021/09/where-did-big-bang-...