How a Student Outsmarted Me!, Why I Loved It?

This is story of interaction with a student and how a Question he asked opened my mind and sparked my thought process. This is one such story of curiosity, humility. And how a single question from a student shifted my perspective and reignited my wonder.

Prologue:

Being a teacher, student thought process always fascinates me. They can think the way I never thought before. Sometimes, they ask questions that make you stop, think and rethink everything you thought you knew. This is one such encounter with a prodigy.

The Encounter:

I was on external duty, quizzing students during their practical exams. The student sitting before me was sharp answering every tricky question I threw at him. One after another, over ten questions answered, each with calm clarity.

Impressed (and slightly challenged), I asked him:

“Now, can you ask me a question I won’t be able to answer?”

He paused. Smiled. And then asked:

“Sir, what happened before the Big Bang?”

I was stunned. For a moment, time stood still.

Though I’ve always been intrigued by cosmology, this question wasn’t about science alone. It was a philosophical punch to the gut. I fumbled an answer some disconnected thoughts about black holes and antimatter but I knew deep down, I hadn’t done justice to the question.

So, What Happened before Big Bang?

What is Big Bang?

It was an expansion of space itself from an extremely hot, dense state about 13.8 billion years ago. The theory describes how the universe evolved after that moment but says little about what came before.

Is the concept of time existed before Big Bang?

If the universe had a “beginning”, then time itself began after Big Bang then the question “before” is meaningless.

To make it simple it is like asking “What’s North of the North Pole?”

The Theories:

• One theory around this is Big Bounce Model where it states “the previous universe contracted, then bounced into this one.”
• Another viewpoint suggests our current universe is a part of much larger multiverse. Think of it as bubble in a bucket of bubbles. Big Bang might just be our local event in an infinite eternal structure.
• There are another possibility where “branes” would have caused an explosion based on String Theory and Brane Cosmology.
• Another philosophical view is viewing the universe as simulation, then “before” the Big Bang could mean “before the simulation started”.

Proved? Not Yet

There is NO evidence to prove any of above theories, because we currently have no instrument, no telescope, no data that can see before the Big Bang. We’re trying to remember something from before memory existed.

Analogy for Non-Science:

If you are not fan of physics, think of the Big Bang like the first frame of a movie. We are discussing about “what happened before the first frame?”

• Asking “what happened before the first frame?” assumes there is a film before that.
• But maybe the movie started at that point or
• maybe it’s part 2 of a larger series we can’t yet see.

Epilogue:

The student who asked that question is Abhishek Shidling, a B.Sc. student at JSS College, Dharwad. He reminded me of Aaron Swartz – the brilliant mind behind Reddit. He is best example of how students can become smart with the help of Internet and YouTube. We cannot feed the curious mind of students with traditional syllabus based education system. Curiosity always wins over syllabus. Wonder always trumps knowledge.

That day, I walked in as a teacher… But I walked out as a learner.

I entered to examine, but I left examined.