Space.com - 2010 March 19
The Big Bang was the beginning of the universe as we know it, most scientists say. But was it the first beginning, and will it be the last?
A popular picture of the early universe imagines a single Big Bang, after which space blew up quickly like a giant bubble. But another theory posits that we live in a universe of 11 dimensions, where all particles are actually made of tiny vibrating strings. This could create a universe stuck in a cycle of Big Bangs and Big Crunches, due to repeat on loop.
Which scenario is closer to the truth remains to be seen, but scientists say new experiments underway could provide more answers soon.