Their research paper is featured on the cover of the April 27 edition of Nature. In its infancy, Netterfield explains, the entire universe was filled with a hot glowing plasma, like the sun. Already, analysis of the size of the structures has produced the most precise measurements to date of the geometry of space-time. According to Netterfield and Bond, the findings thus far indicate that the overall geometry of the universe is flat, supporting the inflationary theory of the Big Bang. This theory hypothesizes that the entire universe underwent a period of violent accelerating expansion that occurred a split second after the Big Bang, resulting in a flat universe.
Parallel lines do indeed stay parallel as they move through intergalactic space.
That would not be the case if the universe were curved, which would cause lines that were initially parallel to either converge or diverge at some distant point. When combined with other cosmological observations, this data supports the prediction that the universe will continue to expand forever, Netterfield and Bond add. Bond says the data will have a significant effect on future study and research. This data is pristine because it's a snapshot of when the universe was young and simple to calculate. The patterns visible in the images confirm theorists' predictions of the patterns that should result from sound waves travelling in the early universe.