Cosmic Inflation Caused the Universe to Expand, for a Brief

question 46

Multiple Choice

Cosmic inflation caused the universe to expand, for a brief period, at faster than lightspeed. But special relativity says that nothing can move faster than lightspeed. How can this contradiction be resolved?

• A) We now realize that special relativity does not apply to dark energy.
• B) The laws of specially relativity were not valid during the inflationary period, but the other laws (such as conservation of energy) were valid.
• C) Special relativity says nothing can move through space at faster than lightspeed, but doesn't restrict the speed at which space can expand.
• D) It hasn't yet been resolved, but scientists are working on resolving it.
• E) The laws of physics (conservation of energy, special relativity, etc.) as we presently know them were not valid during the "inflationary period" that existed for a fraction of a second into the big bang.

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