I sat in a bus beside an Indian friend, who came to the US to study for a PhD. He told me of his work to tell the age of the universe and I wondered if the science he was discovering would someday become a tool for engineering.

My knowledge of the Big Bang Theory wouldn't be epic; I haven't yet seen a single episode on TV. Apparently, in billions of years (14 approx [1]) we can give a good estimate. By extrapolating back through its expansion, from the universe's current state, we can calculate where in time our universe begun. Then, as we currently delve for detail into the initial phases of expansion, all questions, all answers, in space and in time converge to an end. Someday our questions may reach further, even beyond the scope of this universe.

This may be the decade or the century where great engineering exploits great scientific discoveries of the past. Still, much remains unknown. "Big Bang Engineering", it resonates like a sound technician, but isn't it interesting to consider the science engineers of the future may once have at their disposal.

References:

1. NASA. Universe 101. http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_age.html

2. Further reference: John C. Mather. The story of the universe. http://www.nasa.gov/externalflash/mather/