Revolutionary theory suggests universe didn’t spring from nothing but bounced back from cosmic collapse – and could explain mysteries of dark matter and dark energy
In a bombshell discovery that could turn everything we know about the cosmos on its head, scientists have claimed the Big Bang theory is fundamentally WRONG – and that we’re all actually living inside a massive black hole.
An international team of physicists led by the University of Portsmouth has proposed that rather than exploding from nothing 13.8 billion years ago, our universe formed after a gigantic gravitational collapse that created a colossal black hole.
The revolutionary “Black Hole Universe” theory, published in the prestigious journal Physical Review D, suggests the universe didn’t begin with a bang at all – but with a cosmic “bounce” that sent matter exploding outward from inside a black hole.
‘We are not special’
In a stunning revelation, lead researcher Professor Enrique Gaztañaga from Portsmouth’s Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation declared: “We are not special. We are not witnessing the birth of everything from nothing, but rather the continuation of a cosmic cycle.”
The theory proposes that our entire observable universe exists inside the interior of a black hole formed in some larger “parent” universe – meaning there could be countless other universes hidden inside black holes throughout the cosmos.
“The Black Hole Universe offers a new perspective on our place in the cosmos,” Prof Gaztañaga explained. “In this framework, our entire observable universe lies inside the interior of a black hole.”
Quantum physics saves the day
The groundbreaking research challenges decades of work by legendary physicists Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, who proved that gravitational collapse must always lead to an infinitely dense singularity.
But the Portsmouth team found a way around this cosmic dead-end using quantum physics.
“We’ve shown that gravitational collapse does not have to end in a singularity,” Prof Gaztañaga revealed. “Matter does not need to crunch down infinitely, just enough so it can bounce back.”
The key lies in something called the quantum exclusion principle – a fundamental rule that prevents particles from being squeezed together indefinitely.
“As we approach the potential singularity, quantum mechanics intervenes,” the professor explained. “The collapse halts and reverses, creating a bounce that launches a new expanding phase.”
No more dark mysteries
Perhaps most remarkably, the new theory could solve two of the biggest mysteries in modern physics – dark matter and dark energy – without needing to invent mysterious invisible substances.
The standard Big Bang model requires:
- Dark matter – invisible material that supposedly makes up 85% of all matter
- Dark energy – an unknown force pushing the universe apart
- Cosmic inflation – a period when the universe expanded faster than light
But despite decades of searching, scientists have never detected either dark matter or dark energy directly.
“The standard model of cosmology works well – but only by introducing new ingredients we have never observed directly,” Prof Gaztañaga admitted.
The Black Hole Universe model explains all these phenomena naturally, without any exotic new physics.
James Webb telescope provides clues
Recent observations by the James Webb Space Telescope have reignited interest in alternatives to the Big Bang theory.
In March, the telescope captured images of early galaxies showing that two-thirds were spinning clockwise, with the remaining third rotating anti-clockwise.
In a random universe born from nothing, the distribution should be even – suggesting something was causing an anomaly.
That explanation agrees with theories such as black hole cosmology,” said Lior Shamir, an associate professor of computer science at Kansas State University.
If the universe was born rotating – which would occur if created inside a black hole – it could explain this mysterious imbalance.
Testable predictions
Unlike many cosmological theories, the Black Hole Universe model makes specific predictions that can be tested:
- The universe should have a slight positive curvature rather than being perfectly flat
- There should be relic compact objects from the collapsing phase
- Future missions like the Euclid telescope could confirm or refute these predictions
If future space missions confirm this, it would support the bounce theory,” the researchers stated.
Alternative theories multiply
The Portsmouth team’s work isn’t the only challenge to Big Bang orthodoxy emerging in 2025.
Dr Richard Lieu from the University of Alabama in Huntsville has proposed an entirely different model, suggesting the universe grew through a series of ultra-fast “temporal singularities” rather than a single explosion.
“These singularities are unobservable because they occur rarely in time and are unresolvably fast, and that could be the reason why dark matter and dark energy have not been found,” Dr Lieu explained.
His theory, also published this year, describes the Big Bang as a “radically different” misinterpretation of cosmic evidence.
Cosmic cycle, not cosmic beginning
The Black Hole Universe theory suggests we’re part of an eternal cosmic cycle – not witnesses to a unique creation event.
Each black hole could produce a new “baby universe” connected to the outside through an Einstein-Rosen bridge, or “wormhole.
This means:
- Black holes aren’t cosmic dead-ends but universe factories
- There could be infinite universes nested inside each other
- The “beginning” was just a transition point in an eternal cycle
What happens at the edge?
According to the theory, the edge of our universe is actually the event horizon of the black hole we’re inside – the point beyond which light cannot escape.
This would make it physically impossible for us to see beyond into our “parent” universe, explaining why space appears to have an edge.
“We are not witnessing the birth of everything from nothing, but rather the continuation of a cosmic cycle – one shaped by gravity, quantum mechanics, and the deep interconnections between them,” Prof Gaztañaga concluded.
Scientific revolution or cosmic folly?
Not everyone is convinced by the radical new theory.
The Big Bang model has successfully explained countless observations over six decades, from the cosmic microwave background radiation to the abundance of light elements in the universe.
But supporters argue that’s exactly why a new approach is needed.
“The Big Bang model begins with a singularity – a point of infinite density where the laws of physics break down,” Prof Gaztañaga noted. “This is not just a technical glitch; it’s a deep theoretical problem that suggests we don’t really understand the beginning at all.”
What it means for us
If true, the implications are mind-blowing:
- We’re living inside a black hole in another universe
- That universe might itself be inside another black hole
- There could be infinite nested realities
- Other black holes in our universe might contain their own cosmos
- The “death” of our universe could birth new ones
As Prof Gaztañaga put it: “We are not special, no more than Earth was in the geocentric worldview that led Galileo to be placed under house arrest.”
The research team is now working on further predictions that could definitively prove or disprove their revolutionary theory.
One thing is certain – our understanding of the cosmos may never be the same again.
