IUPAC definition. polymerization: The process of converting a monomer or a mixture of monomers into a polymer. An example of alkene polymerization, in which each styrene monomer's double bond reforms as a single bond plus a bond to another styrene monomer.
There is evidence to indicate the Big Bang may have resulted from another, earlier universe collapsing in on itself, rather than from expanding from a point on infinitely hot and dense material. Instead, the universe appears to be going through constant phases of expansion (as it is at present) and contraction in a never-ending cycle. This theory of universe formation, known as the Big Bounce, was first proposed almost a century ago.
Evidence for an accelerating universe. One of the observational foundations for the big bang model of cosmology was the observed expansion of the universe. Measurement of the expansion rate is a critical part of the study, and it has been found that the expansion rate is very nearly flat.