We insist that there had to have been a beginning. As has been the case numerous times in the past, the Universe is under no obligation to bend to our preconceptions. If we seem to be chasing our own tail every time we try to figure out the primordial beginnings of the Universe, perhaps it is because we are asking the wrong question. Perhaps a more complete understanding of the nature of the architecture of the Universe is required before we are able to ask the right questions. In any event, we lack the information necessary to make an effective judgment of the matter. What conditions existed before the Big Bang are inaccessible to scientific observation. The Universe as we know it came into its recognizable form around 13.7 billion years ago. What was occurring or not occurring before that time is not known and any evidence of the pre-Universe Universe has so far been imperceptible. The evidence we have at hand is that the current expansion will continue indefinitely. The possibility of a cyclical universe will depend on acquiring new insights and evidence. We are left with the implication that although the Universe has an order and direction, its purpose (if there is one) remains unresolved.
