--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The inflationary period of expansion does…" description: "\"“The inflationary period of expansion does not smooth out irregularity by entropy-producing processes like those explored by the cosmologies of the sev..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-d-barrow-4552_beyond-the-horizon_the-inflationary-period-of-expansion-doe_518834.jpg" --- # The inflationary period of expansion does not smooth out… ![“The inflationary period of expansion does not smooth out irregularity by entropy-producing processes like those explored by the cosmologies of the seventies. Rather it sweeps the irregularity out beyond the Horizon of our visible Universe, where we cannot see it . The entire universe of stars and…” quote by John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-d-barrow-4552_beyond-the-horizon_the-inflationary-period-of-expansion-doe_518834.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-d-barrow-4552_beyond-the-horizon_the-inflationary-period-of-expansion-doe_518834.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4a2/john-d-barrow-4552_beyond-the-horizon_the-inflationary-period-of-expansion-doe_518834.jpg) > ““The inflationary period of expansion does not smooth out irregularity by entropy-producing processes like those explored by the cosmologies of the seventies. Rather it sweeps the irregularity out beyond the Horizon of our visible Universe, where we cannot see it . The entire universe of stars and galaxies on view to us. , on this hypothesis, is but the reflection of a minute, perhaps infinitesimal, portion of the universe's initial conditions, whose ultimate extent and structure must remain forever unknowable to us. A theory of everything does not help here. The information contained in the observable part of the universe derives from the evolution of a tiny part of the initial conditions for the entire universe. The sum total of all the observations we could possibly make can only tell us about a minuscule portion of the whole.”” [John D. Barrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-barrow/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The observable universe is a tiny, smoothed-out portion of the whole, making a complete theory impossible. **In simple terms:** We see only a small part of the cosmos. Key Takeaway Accept limits of knowledge. Themes science philosophy cosmology Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type statement explanatory When to use this quote - research - education - public talks - science communication Key Concepts entropy inflation horizon problem Questions to Reflect On - What can we learn from limited observations? - How does this affect scientific ambition? A Different Perspective A complete theory may remain forever beyond reach. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beyond the horizon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beyond-the-horizon/) ## Related quotes > [Cosmologies are made up of small snippets of physical reality that have been remodeled by society into vast cosmic deceptions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-rifkin/cosmologies-are-made-up-of-small-snippets-of-physical-reality-that/) [Jeremy Rifkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-rifkin/) > [If our local, observable universe is embedded in a larger structure, a multiverse, then there's other places in this larger structure that have denizens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-m-carroll/if-our-local-observable-universe-is-embedded-in-a-larger-structure-a/) [Sean M. 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