Brian Cox’s Mind-Bending Theory on What Existed Before the Big Bang

The concept of what existed before the Big Bang has long been a mystery wrapped in an enigma, dipped in a big bowl of “I have no idea.” For most people, the Big Bang represents the ultimate starting point—time zero, the beginning of everything. But what if I told you that some of the most brilliant minds, including physicist Brian Cox, have considered what might have come before the Big Bang? And what they’ve pondered might just make you question everything you thought you knew about the universe. Spoiler alert: it’s kind of unsettling.

The Big Bang: A Brief Recap (Or, How We Got Into This Mess in the First Place)

To understand what could have come before the Big Bang, let’s first get our heads around the Big Bang itself. This isn’t just some cosmic firecracker going off in space—this is the event that created space, time, and every single thing that you know, don’t know, and can’t even begin to imagine. Around 13.8 billion years ago, the universe was a very different place—mainly because it wasn’t a “place” at all. It was a singularity, a point so dense and hot that the laws of physics took one look and said, “Nope, not touching that.” Then, in a moment of spectacular cosmic drama, this singularity began to expand, rapidly inflating into what would eventually become galaxies, stars, planets, and all those memes on the internet. Scientists call this the Big Bang, though technically, there wasn’t any “bang” since there was no air or space for sound to travel through

. It’s more like a “Big Everything-Started-Happening-All-at-Once.”

So far, so good, right? But here’s where it gets tricky: if the Big Bang is the beginning of time, what does “before” even mean? How do you have a “before” when there’s no time to mark it? It’s like asking what’s north of the North Pole—there’s no “there” there. But that hasn’t stopped scientists like Brian Cox from asking the question and coming up with some mind-bending ideas.

Brian Cox’s Unsettling Theory: The Universe Before Time Was a Whole Lot of Nothing

Brian Cox is no stranger to explaining the unexplainable. As a physicist and a science communicator, he’s tackled some pretty complex topics, but the idea of what existed before the Big Bang might just be the most unnerving of them all. One possibility Cox has floated is that before the Big Bang, there was...nothing. And not just “nothing” in the way your refrigerator is empty when you’re hungry, but a complete and utter absence of anything—no space, no time, no matter, no energy. Just an infinite, dark void that makes the vacuum of space look like a bustling metropolis.

Now, this isn’t just your garden-variety nothingness. We’re talking about a state so devoid of anything that it’s almost impossible to comprehend. Think of it as the ultimate existential void—no pesky atoms floating around, no annoying photons zipping through space, just pure, unadulterated emptiness. But why is this unsettling? Well, if Cox is right, then the universe—and everything in it—sprang from a place of absolute non-existence. It’s not just that there was nothing before the Big Bang; it’s that there was really nothing. This challenges the very notion of cause and effect, leaving us with the uncomfortable idea that everything we know might have come from, well, literally nothing.

And that’s a pretty tough pill to swallow. It’s like finding out the house you’ve lived in your entire life was built on thin air, and yet here it is, standing solid. The mind struggles to make sense of it because it’s so far outside our everyday experience. We’re used to things having a cause—if something exists, something must have caused it, right? But in this scenario, the universe itself is the ultimate exception to the rule.

The Infinite Multiverse: Welcome to the Cosmic Neighborhood

As if the idea of nothingness wasn’t disturbing enough, there’s another theory that Cox has discussed that’s equally mind-boggling, though in a completely different way: the multiverse. Now, if you’re thinking of Spider-Man and parallel dimensions, you’re not too far off—except this multiverse doesn’t just include a few different versions of reality; it includes an infinite number of them.

The multiverse theory suggests that our universe is just one of countless others, each with its own set of rules, laws of physics, and maybe even its own Brian Cox. In this scenario, the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning of everything, just the beginning of our universe. Somewhere out there, other Big Bangs could have created other universes, each as unique as a cosmic snowflake. Here’s where it gets a little mind-bending: if there are infinite universes, then everything that can happen has happened, will happen, and is happening—somewhere out there. In one universe, you’re a Nobel Prize-winning scientist; in another, you might be a talking octopus hosting a late-night talk show. The possibilities are, quite literally, endless. But here’s the kicker: the multiverse theory suggests that our universe might not be special at all. In the grand scheme of things, we’re just one bubble in a frothy cosmic brew. This can be a bit of a blow to our egos—we like to think of ourselves as living in the “one true universe,” but in the multiverse model, we’re just another face in the crowd.

Now, why is this unsettling? Because it means that the universe as we know it is just one of many, and there’s no reason to think ours is the best, the biggest, or the most important. It’s like finding out you’re not the main character in the story of the universe—you’re just an extra in a very large cast. It’s humbling, sure, but also a little scary to think that everything we hold dear might just be a tiny blip in a vast, endless multiverse.

The Cyclic Universe: Stuck on Repeat?

If the idea of nothingness or the multiverse hasn’t made you rethink your place in the universe, then Brian Cox’s exploration of the cyclic universe might do the trick. Imagine the universe not as a one-time event but as something that’s happened before and will happen again. In this theory, the universe goes through endless cycles of birth, death, and rebirth, like a cosmic version of Groundhog Day. According to the cyclic universe theory, the Big Bang wasn’t the beginning of time; it was just the latest in a series of “bangs.” Before our universe, there was another universe that eventually collapsed in on itself, leading to a Big Crunch. This Big Crunch then set the stage for the next Big Bang, starting the whole process over again. Rinse and repeat, forever.

This idea can be unsettling because it suggests that everything we do, everything we’ve ever done, has happened before—and will happen again. It’s like living in a cosmic loop, where history doesn’t just rhyme; it repeats verbatim. Imagine discovering that every decision you make, every turn your life takes, is part of a pattern that’s been played out infinite times before. That sense of déjà vu you sometimes get? In a cyclic universe, it might be more real than you think.

On the one hand, the cyclic universe theory could be seen as comforting—it means that the end of our universe isn’t really the end, just a reset. But on the other hand, it’s a bit like being trapped in a never-ending movie that you can’t walk out of, where the credits never roll, and the plot just keeps resetting. It’s both a promise of eternal renewal and the threat of never escaping the loop.

What Does This Mean for Us? (Besides a Possible Existential Crisis)

So, where does all this leave us, humble inhabitants of this particular universe, in this particular cycle? Brian Cox’s musings on what might have existed before the Big Bang might leave you feeling a bit dizzy, as though you’ve peeked behind the curtain of reality and glimpsed something unsettling. Whether it’s the absolute nothingness, the endless possibilities of the multiverse, or the eternal loop of the cyclic universe, each idea forces us to reconsider what we think we know about existence. And let’s be honest—this is some heavy stuff. It’s not every day you have to confront the idea that the universe might have sprung from nothing, or that it’s just one of countless other universes, or that we’re stuck in an infinite loop of existence. It’s enough to make you want to sit down with a cup of tea and watch cat videos until your brain stops hurting.

But here’s the thing: while these ideas might be unsettling, they’re also incredibly exciting. They show us that the universe is far more complex and strange than we ever imagined. And even though we might never fully understand what came before the Big Bang, the fact that we’re asking these questions at all shows just how far we’ve come in our quest to understand the cosmos.

The Universe Is Weird, and That’s Okay

In the end, Brian Cox’s explorations into what might have existed before the Big Bang remind us that the universe is a strange, sometimes unsettling place. But it’s also a place of incredible wonder. Whether it’s the idea of a void before time, an infinite multiverse, or a cyclic loop of existence, each theory challenges us to think bigger, to question more, and to accept that some mysteries might never be fully solved.

So, while these concepts might keep you up at night, remember that they’re also a testament to the human spirit’s insatiable curiosity. The universe is weird, and we’re here for it—fascinated, intrigued, and ready to ask the next big question.