Who Lit the Big Bang Fuse?

We humans have come a long way in understanding the Universe.

At least, that’s what we like to tell ourselves.

Ever since Galileo invented his telescope and we began to see more of what’s out there beyond our little planet, humankind has been gathering cosmic information and making speculative observations about the Universe.

We’ve been to the moon, sent rovers to Mars and built a space station — all to better understand our place in the Universe. And most recently, we sent the James Webb telescope 7 million miles into space to better see and know more about the cosmos.

But perhaps the biggest as-yet-unresolved question of all regards the so-called “birth” of the Universe, i.e., the “Big Bang Theory.” First advanced in 1931 and since then embraced by nearly every astronomer across the world, the theory holds that about 13.2 billion years ago the Universe was born from an incredible explosion called the Big Bang.

From that point on, Time began and the Universe began to expand into what we know today.

That’s the short version of what passes for scientific knowledge about the Start of Everything. Extremely sophisticated systems of measurement have shown that — in our little corner of the Universe — nothing appears to be older than 13.2 billion years. That's the basis for assuming everything got its beginning back then.

But the human mind is not easily persuaded by such simple explanations.

At least, not mine.

I just can’t help wondering: What was going on BEFORE the Big Bang?

I mean, there must have been SOME kind of buildup to an explosion like that, right? We know that, to have an explosion, you need fuel under pressure and a spark.

So was there a Time BEFORE the Big Bang that gasses were somehow building up and that they were somehow ignited to throw all the galaxy and star and planet-making mechanisms into gear?

If so, how long was that build-up period and from where did the fuel and spark come from?

Oh, the never-ending questions…

And what about religion and the concept of God setting everything into motion with a flip of a cosmic switch? Religion and science have quarreled over that for the last 90-plus years with no end in sight.

Some God believers have embraced the idea that, yes, perhaps there was a scientific “Big Bang” beginning to the Universe, but somehow God was involved in making that happen.

I kind of like that one…

The Webb telescope may help us get closer to an answer, as it is supposed to be able to “see back into time” and maybe clarify some of the mystery surrounding the start of the Universe.

On the other hand, perhaps there are some mysteries that we humans will never be able to completely understand, but we just keep trying.

And that’s a good thing.