We wrote about that a couple of days ago:
At CNN: The Problem with the Big Bang Theory: The story is really about the fact that inflation theory — way Cooler than the Big Bang — was not especially confirmed. Get this: it’s important to remember that “there are no sacred cows in science, and scientists are always checking and rechecking even their favorite universal models.” – Don Lincoln
Really, Don? Try doubting that humans are responsible for global warming and watch the herd of sacred cows stampede…
Now Rob Sheldon kindly writes to say,
Just to clarify, Big Bang theory is doing just fine, the Inflationary addition which is NOT part of the Standard Model, isn’t.
But the article is not even saying that. Hypothesized inflation + hypothesized spin 2 gravity wave + hypothesized coupling = Bmode polarization of CMBR in some models, which is not seen. This could be because there is no inflation, or no gravity waves, or no coupling, or some combination of the above. Negative observations are really not very informative. The fact that they got $M to look says someone was really doing a good sales job.
Wish I could get $M to look for the rainbow unicorns that live on the sun but can only be seen with polarized X-rays.
We wish we had an illustration of those rainbow unicorns, with sunglasses, no doubt.
Rob Sheldon is the author of Genesis: The Long Ascent and The Long Ascent, Volume II .