From the beginning of the universe:
How far back can we see into the past?

What happened in the first moments of the universe, around 13 billion years ago? Many researchers assume that the cosmos initially underwent a phase of extremely rapid expansion: known as cosmic inflation. This can explain why the universe is astonishingly uniform and yet has such diverse structures.

At this Café & Cosmos evening, Sebastian Zell (Max Planck Institute for Physics & Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich) will talk about what is known about the first moments of the universe – and where the limits of our knowledge lie. He will explain why inflation can be considered the trigger for the Big Bang and how observations suggest that the entire structure of the universe – from galaxies to Earth – emerged from tiny quantum fluctuations

When: February 24, 2026, 7 p.m., doors open at 6 p.m
Where: Wirtshaus zum Isarthal, Brudermühlstraße 2, 81371 München
Free Admissionwith