How Far Has Our Understanding of Cosmic Evolution Advanced?

Big Bang cosmology, initiated by Gamow in the 1940s, was refined through nucleosynthesis theory and the discovery of the cosmic microwave background, and later became a firm foundation through detailed observations and precise calculations. Grand unified theories going beyond the Standard Model were proposed early on; subsequent work by the speaker and others contributed to explanations of the matter–antimatter asymmetry and the development of inflation models, adding fascinating insights into the early universe.