Introduction.  Neil Turok was a long-time friend of Stephen Hawking.  He had been a co-author of several articles with Hawking. When Turok was the head of the department (1997-2006) at Cambridge (DAMTP*), Hawking was the Lucasian Professor (1979-2009). Today, Turok is one of the most credible critics of the big bang theory as constituted by Hawking. Turok believes that the universe behaves as if it is always starting from scratch.

The big bang theory is still cited as deep truth. Yes, many scientists and scholars will cite the big bang theory until an alternative theory becomes viable. Then, and only then, will these citations stop. As more and more scholars take the old theory to task — and there is good reason to do so — alternatives will emerge.