Lost Interview With Priest Called “Father of Big Bang Theory” Found

Belgian television station VRT recently rediscovered a 20-minute video featuring the famous astrophysicist, Father Georges Lemaitre, who is considered the “Father of the Big Bang Theory.”

The video is an interview in French, conducted by producer Jerome Verhaeghe, and was broadcast on Feb 14, 1964.

Until now, only photos of Father Lemaitre were available, the most popular of which was one where he appeared alongside Albert Einstein.

The rediscovery of the video came as a surprise to VRT’s archives, with Kathleen Bertrem mentioning that it was like “looking for a needle in a haystack” due to the company misclassifying its extensive files.

In the video, Father Lemaitre explains his theory of the expansion of the universe, which was a revolutionary idea in the 1920s. He points out that prior to his theory, the universe was expected to be static, as nothing was thought to change. However, the discovery of expansion made the idea of a static universe untenable, leading him to propose the Big Bang theory.

Father Lemaitre described the Big Bang as the “primordial atom” that marked the beginning of the universe. He explains that the expansion of the universe led to the formation of an expanding space full of plasma and energetic rays, which he called “primeval fireworks.” These rays have been preserved in space, “giving us a testimony of the first ages of the world.”

The Belgian priest emphasized that he presents his theories in scientific terms and his work shouldn’t be thought of as a reflection of his religious beliefs. However, he also highlights the initial rejection of the expansion of the universe was due to it necessitating the concept of a creation.

The full video of the interview with Father Lemaitre can be seen below on the VRT YouTube channel.

Photo credit: Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons