Modern physics has taken us extraordinarily close to the origin of our observable universe. We know that the universe is expanding and that, about 13.8 billion years ago, it was in an extremely hot and dense state associated with the Big Bang. However, one question remains stubbornly open: What came before the Big Bang? When we trace the expansion of the universe backwards using Einstein’s theory of general relativity, we arrive at what is called a singularity, a point where our present mathematical description breaks down. The singularity may not answer the question of origin. It may simply indicate that our current understanding has reached its limit. And that raises a more fundamental question: If there was a beginning, what gave rise to that beginning? Science does not yet have a definitive answer. In fact, the word before itself becomes problematic if time emerged with the universe. Perhaps there was something before the Big Bang. Perhaps there was no “before” at all. When sc...
We tend to think of the universe as something outside us, vast and mysterious, while seeing ourselves as separate individuals living within it. We observe its stars, planets, mountains and oceans with a sense of wonder, rarely considering that we too are part of the same unfolding reality. But there is another way of looking at it. We are not merely living in the universe. We are an expression of it. Consider the human body. We breathe without consciously deciding to breathe. Our heart beats, blood circulates, food is digested, wounds heal and billions of cells perform their functions without our direction. We are aware of only a fraction of what is happening within us, yet this extraordinary activity continues every moment. We describe these as biological processes, and scientifically that is correct. However, behind them is an extraordinary order that enables countless processes to work together seamlessly. Look beyond the human body and a similar order appears in nature. Seeds devel...