Sir Roger Penrose, a scientist who won the Nobel Prize in Physics, has an amazing idea: he thinks a universe existed before the Big Bang, and we might still see signs of it today.
What Did He Discover?
Sir Roger, now 89, worked with black holes—mysterious objects in space so powerful that nothing, not even light, can escape their pull. While studying the universe, he noticed strange spots in the sky that are warmer than the areas around them. These spots, called Hawking Points, are about eight times the size of the Moon.
These spots are named after Professor Stephen Hawking, who believed black holes slowly disappear over time by releasing tiny amounts of energy, called Hawking radiation. This process takes a super long time—way longer than the current age of our universe—so it’s nearly impossible to see it happen.
But Sir Roger thinks these Hawking Points could be signs of “dead” black holes from a universe that existed before ours. If he’s right, it would prove that Hawking’s ideas about black holes are true.
What’s the Big Idea?
Sir Roger’s theory is called conformal cyclic cosmology (CCC). He says the Big Bang, which we think of as the start of everything, wasn’t the real beginning. Instead, it was the end of an earlier universe, or “aeon.”
In his theory, our universe keeps expanding and expanding until everything in it disappears. Then, a new universe begins—starting with another Big Bang. The black holes from the earlier universe leave behind “Hawking Points,” which we can spot today as slightly warmer areas in the sky.
“There was something before the Big Bang,” Sir Roger said, “and there will be something after our universe ends.” He claims to have found six Hawking Points, and he’s shared his findings with other scientists.
A Controversial Idea
Not all scientists agree with Sir Roger. Many think the Big Bang was the true beginning of everything. But others are open to the idea of a universe that cycles endlessly, expanding, collapsing, and starting again with a new Big Bang.
Even black holes were once controversial. They were first imagined back in 1783 by John Mitchell, who thought objects so dense they could trap light might exist. Albert Einstein, whose theories helped us understand black holes, thought they were just a math trick, not real.
It wasn’t until 1964 that Sir Roger showed black holes are real and are a natural result of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. His work was groundbreaking and remains one of the biggest contributions to science since Einstein’s time.
Why Does It Matter?
Sir Roger’s theory could completely change how we think about the universe. Instead of having one beginning and one end, the universe might go through endless cycles, with each Big Bang starting a new chapter.
Even though some scientists disagree, Sir Roger’s ideas inspire people to think about what might have come before the Big Bang—and what might come after our universe ends.
As he accepted his Nobel Prize, Sir Roger reflected on his long career: “It’s good to get this kind of recognition when you’re old enough to appreciate it. Black holes took a long time to understand, so it’s not surprising it took this long to recognize their importance.”
Sir Roger shared the prize with two other scientists, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez, who proved there’s a giant black hole at the center of our galaxy.
A Legacy of Discovery
Sir Roger’s work reminds us of how much there is to learn about the universe. His ideas, alongside Stephen Hawking’s, continue to shape our understanding of space, time, and gravity. Even if his theory about earlier universes isn’t fully accepted yet, it’s a powerful example of how science pushes the boundaries of what we know.
