Cosmic inflation expanded the early universe at an exponential rate in a fraction of a second.

Before the hot plasma filled our cosmos, the universe underwent a blindingly fast growth spurt. Proposed by physicist Alan Guth, cosmic inflation stretched space itself faster than the speed of light. This happened in a mere fraction of a second—roughly 10 to the minus 32 seconds. This rapid ballooning explains why our universe looks so remarkably flat, smooth, and uniform today. It smoothed out all the wrinkles before the real fire started.