About This Video

Before coming to the conclusion that there are multiple universes, scientists first had to work out how their one universe worked. One puzzling aspect was the observation of inconsistencies in the rate of expansion, as if some parts of the universe were growing at a different rate than the rest. Andrei Linde, a professor of physics at Stanford University describes how a late night epiphany set the framework for both the Chaotic Inflationary Theory and a comedic tale of restroom inspiration.

Image courtesy of Bill Gracey; Recorded June 2009; Posted April 2011