What came before Big Bang still a mystery

MODERN science is no closer to explaining the “genesis moment” which led to the creation of the universe than thinkers in the 5th century, the Astronomer Royal has said.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Lord Rees says while academics managed to trace the origins of life back to the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago, understanding what came before or triggered the “fiery beginning” remains elusive.

The former president of the Royal Society says: “On this fundamental question, we cannot do much better than St Augustine in the 5th century.”

Appearing to compare faith in the divine with scientific explanation for the creation of the universe is a notable intervention from an academic who has said “I have no religious beliefs at all”.

Discussing the understanding and measurement of time, Lord Rees criticises mankind’s planning abilities.

“Our cosmic horizons are far more extensive than those of our forebears,” he writes. “We have entered the anthropocene era when one species – ours – can determine the entire planet’s fate. In contrast, our planning horizons have shrunk because our lives are changing so fast. The political focus is on the urgent and immediate, and the next election.”

Lord Rees adds that life on Earth is still in its infancy, and points out that the sun will last another six billion years before engulfing the planets in its death throes.