April 7, 2014
#1352: Cosmologist on a Tire Swing
[[A child and an adult are walking across a grassy park with puddles strewn across it and trees nearby.]]
Child: What was before the Big Bang?
Adult: I think time began with the Big Bang. So it doesn’t make sense to ask what came before it.
From offscreen: Look out!
[[A cosmologist on a tire swing comes swinging by the pair.]]
Cosmologist: Wheeeee hi I’m a cosmologist on a tire swing!
[[The cosmologist swings back the other way.]]
Cosmologist: We don’t know whether time–
[[Another swing the other direction…]]
Cosmologist: –started at the Big Bang.
[[Another swing.]]
Cosmologist: It might have!
[[Another swing.]]
Cosmologist: Or maybe not! We don’t know!
Adult: Oh. Ok!
[[Another swing.]]
Child: …your tire swing looks fun!
Cosmologist: I can’t stop!
[[Continues swinging.]]
Child: Won’t the swing stop on its own?
Cosmologist: I thought it would but it seems to be accelerating.
Child: Cosmology sounds pretty confusing.
Cosmologist: Wheeeee!