Check out the picture accompanying this post (courtesy NASA). It
is a graphical timeline of the history of our universe. Let's
walk through it step by step - from left to right. Quantum
Fluctuations: the universe starts off as a tiny blob of quantum
fuzz, perhaps 0.000...thirty more zeroes...1 centimeters in
size; basically out of void and nothingness - the uncertainty
inherent in the laws of quantum mechanics (see post on the
quantum world for more). The physics during this period is not
well understood - it lies in the realm of String Theory. The
temperature of the quantum fuzz is 1000…plus twenty more zeroes
degrees… at these temperatures, all the laws of physics are
expected to be highly symmetric and the forces of Nature
unified. Inflation: the random quantum fluctuations get frozen
out during a remarkable period known as Cosmological Inflation:
a violent expansion of the universe driven by the repulsive
force of dark energy (see post on Dark Energy for more). This
lasts only 0.000…thirty or so zeroes…1