A radical new theory regarding the origin of the universe suggests that gravitational waves, tiny ripples in spacetime first predicted by Albert Einstein back in 1915, could have given rise to cosmic matter, eventually spawning galaxies, stars and planets.
The theory aims to do away with a range of speculative and adjustable parameters within the standard Big Bang theory. The fact that these parameters can be so freely modified is challenging, as it means that scientists can't tell if a model of the beginning of the universe truly predicts observations of the modern cosmos, or if it has simply been adapted to fit this picture.
