How can you possibly use simulations to reconstruct the history of the entire universe with just a small sample of galaxy observations? This is the case with big data.
In theory, we understand much of the physics of the history and evolution of the universe. We know that the universe used to be much smaller, denser and hotter. We know its expansion is accelerating today. We know that the universe is made up of very different things, including galaxies (which we can see) and dark matter (which we cannot see).
We know that the largest structures in the universe have slowly evolved over time, from tiny seeds to being built up over billions of years by gravitational pull.
By observing, however, we only see a number of galaxies.
Galaxy polls form the backbone of our understanding of cosmology. By studying the positions of galaxies in the universe, we can try to recreate the grand history of their evolution.
However, linking observations to theory is a difficult thing. You need to have an understanding of all of physics and how it plays out over cosmic time to move from studying galaxies to a larger theory of the universe. And it gets harder because we haven’t even started mapping all of the galaxies in the cosmos – we only have access to a small sample of them.
Enter big data and big simulations. Computer simulations allow us to bridge the gap between theories of what the universe is made of and how it evolves to the limited observations we can make.
We’re getting better at it, especially with a technique called Bayesian Sampling. In order for this to work, the researchers take the galaxy survey data and begin generating mock universes based on the theory they studied. By creating a variety of simulations and applying fancy statistical techniques, researchers can find the theory that best describes galaxy surveying.
In this way, researchers can reconstruct the entire history of the universe, taking into account each galaxy study, enabling deeper studies of cosmological theories and stronger connections to real world observations.
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