Revising Big Bang cosmology

Abstract

The existing theory of the origin of the universe has three difficulties, it predicts an absurd ‘cosmological constant’, some stars seem older than the universe and the expansion seems to be speeding up. All three problems are shown to be resolved simultaneously when a sub-quantum medium is postulated as the basic level of reality. This causes the next level, the quantum vacuum, to appear as if made of only positive energy so that no changes to quantum theory seem to be required, except for gravitation. The sub-quantum level, however, is considered as a balanced mixture of positive and negative energy states with an asymmetry making the positive phase appear dominant. Inflation is produced by a collision-breeding process followed by a phase change which almost, but not quite, cancels this effect. It leads to the prediction of a gentle acceleration and makes the universe many times older than the 15 billion years so far estimated.