Accounts Quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson
“We're quite happy with our Big Bang description of cosmic origins. But actually, the Big Bang accounts for what happened only after the beginning. The beginning itself, and especially what happened before, remains the biggest mystery of all.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, 2014
The Big Bang explains post‑origin events, but the true origin and pre‑beginning remain unknown, representing the greatest scientific mystery.
In simple terms: Big Bang starts after the start; the start itself is unknown.
Key Takeaway
Accept that some origins are still mysterious.
Themes
cosmology
unknown
origin
scientific limits
Mood
curious
inquisitive
Type
scientific
speculative
When to use this quote
- research planning
- educational outreach
- personal contemplation
- science communication
Key Concepts
physics
philosophy of science
Questions to Reflect On
- What evidence could reshape our view of the universe's start?
- How do we handle uncertainty in fundamental science?
A Different Perspective
Current models may be incomplete or later disproven.
![“The Big Bang has gone away, but as far as Super String, that is suspicious for me. It all starts out with the notion of Big Bang, which if it were true, starts out with incredibly high temperatures. So they think [we] need to get these high temperatures for this broken symmetry; all this broken…” quote by Edgar Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/182/edgar-mitchell-6104_bangs_the-big-bang-has-gone-away-but-as-far-as_132330.jpg)
![“Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre, the guys who run that show [Big Bang Theory], are really funny and really smart, and the cast is fantastic to work with.” quote by Brent Spiner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/b53/brent-spiner-2999_bangs_bill-prady-and-chuck-lorre-the-guys-who_64317.jpg)
![“They [scientists of centuries past] call on God only from the lonely and precarious edge of incomprehension. Where they feel certain about their explanations, however, God gets hardly a mention.” quote by Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/0b0/neil-degrasse-tyson-143_century_they-scientists-of-centuries-past-call-o_12921.jpg)
