Orfeu Bertolami

On a scorching afternoon, a stifling haze hangs over the city, and not a single cloud is on the horizon. Usually, in such weather, all you can do is wait for nature to take pity and send some cool relief. But what if shade and rain could be switched on schedule, like a light in a room?

$$10^{-35}$$ seconds. A tiny instant during which the Universe manages to expand by a factor of $$10^{26}$$. Immediately after, it goes through thousands of rapid transformations — like a ball bouncing along a chain of tunnels. This cascade is the essence of chain inflation, first proposed by Alan Guth.