Georges Lemaître: The Father of the Big Bang Theory
Education Between Science and Faith
Born on July 17, 1894 in Charleroi (Belgium), Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître (1894-1966) showed an early interest in mathematics and physics. After secondary studies at the Jesuit College of the Sacred Heart, he entered the Catholic University of Louvain in 1911.
Academic background:
1913: Began civil engineering studies
1914-1918: Military service during World War I (artillery)
1919: Resumed studies and obtained a PhD in physics and mathematics (1920)
1920: Entered the seminary of Mechelen and was ordained priest in 1923
1923: Studies at Cambridge University with Arthur Eddington
1924-1925: Stay at Harvard College Observatory and MIT
This unique training, combining science and theology, made him a thinker capable of reconciling faith and scientific reason.
The Primeval Atom Theory (1927-1931)
1. Initial Hypothesis (1927)
In an article published in 1927 in the Annales de la Société Scientifique de Bruxelles, Lemaître proposed a solution to Einstein's general relativity equations that implied an expanding universe:
First to suggest that the universe began from a "primeval atom"
Derived equations describing an expanding universe (before Hubble's observations)
Proposed that the redshift of galaxies was due to this expansion
Einstein, initially skeptical, reportedly said: "Your calculations are correct, but your physics is abominable."
2. Confirmation by Hubble (1929-1931)
After Edwin Hubble's discovery of the velocity-distance relation in 1929, Lemaître published in 1931 in Nature a foundational article where he:
Explicitly proposed the primeval atom theory (future Big Bang theory)
Estimated the age of the universe at about 10-20 billion years
Introduced the notion of cosmic background radiation (discovered later in 1965)
His article began with these famous words: We could conceive of space as having been initially filled with a kind of super-dense fluid...
Major Contributions to Cosmology
1. Cosmological Constant
Lemaître proposed an original interpretation of Einstein's cosmological constant:
Suggested it could represent a vacuum energy
Proposed a model of accelerating universe expansion (precursor to dark energy)
These ideas were confirmed in 1998 with the discovery of the acceleration of expansion
2. Hubble-Lemaître Law
Although often attributed solely to Hubble, this fundamental relation also bears Lemaître's name:
Linear relationship between velocity and distance: \(v = H_0 \times d\)
Lemaître calculated the first estimate of \(H_0\): ~625 km/s/Mpc
Proposed that this expansion implies a beginning of the universe
3. Other Scientific Contributions
Lemaître also worked on:
Theory of cosmic tides
Three-body problem in celestial mechanics
Cosmic rays (with Robert Millikan)
Academic Life and Recognition
Professional career:
1925: Part-time professor at the Catholic University of Louvain
1927: Full-time professor and creation of a theoretical physics center
1936: Member of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences
1941: Elected to the Royal Academy of Belgium
1960: Received the Francqui Prize, Belgium's highest scientific distinction
International recognition:
Foreign member of the Royal Astronomical Society (1927)
Eddington Medal (1934)
Member of the International Astronomical Union
Lemaître and the Relationship Between Science and Faith
As both a priest and scientist, Lemaître had a particular view of the relationship between science and religion:
"Science and faith are two distinct domains that should not be mixed"
Opposed the use of his theory to prove the existence of God
Believed in a Creator God, but not in a "God of the gaps" to explain scientific unknowns
He stated: "The primeval atom theory is a neutral scientific theory, without religious implications."
Legacy and Posterity
Lemaître died on June 20, 1966 in Louvain, leaving an immense scientific legacy:
Father of the Big Bang theory (term coined by Fred Hoyle in 1949)
Pioneer of modern cosmology
Inspiration for space missions like COBE (1989) and Planck (2009)
His name was given to:
Asteroid (1565) Lemaître
Lunar crater Lemaître
Euclid space telescope (ESA mission, 2023)
In 2018, the International Astronomical Union officially renamed Hubble's law as the Hubble-Lemaître law to recognize his fundamental contribution.
Georges Lemaître's Major Contributions
Field
Year
Contribution
Impact
Cosmology
1927
Primeval atom theory
Foundation of Big Bang theory, origin of the universe
Astrophysics
1927
Velocity-distance relation
Basis of Hubble-Lemaître law, universe expansion
Relativity
1931
Interpretation of cosmological constant
Precursor to dark energy theory (1998)
Physics
1933
Cosmic ray theory
Collaboration with Robert Millikan on their origin
Methodology
1931
Prediction of cosmic microwave background
Discovered in 1965 by Penzias and Wilson (Nobel Prize 1978)