Why should galaxy collisions have been more common in the past than they are today? Galaxies were closer together in the past because the universe was smaller. Such galaxies produce so much light that they would have consumed all their gas long ago if they had always been forming stars at this high rate.

We can still see the cosmic microwave background radiation because we can (at least conceptually) still see all the way back in time to the big bang itself. The big bang was not an explosion in space. A better way of looking at it is that the big bang was instead an explosion of space that took place everywhere.

Yes. This relic radiation left over from the Big Bang is being increasingly redshifted as the Universe expands. So its energy is being constantly diluted. After another few trillion years, the current cosmic microwave background will have redshifted into insignificance and will no longer be detectable.

The problem is that, when we look up at the sky, and take a look at the microwave radiation (that’s the leftover radiation from the big bang), we find that it’s the same temperature, 2.725 Kelvin, in every direction. The motion of us against the microwave background, or a doppler shift from our local velocity.

11 top causes of global poverty

• Inequality and marginalization.
• Conflict.
• Hunger, malnutrition, and stunting.
• Poor healthcare systems — especially for mothers and children.
• Little or no access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene.
• Climate change.
• Lack of education.
• Poor public works and infrastructure.

When prices for energy, food, commodities, and other goods and services rise, the entire economy is affected. Rising prices, known as inflation, impact the cost of living, the cost of doing business, borrowing money, mortgages, corporate, and government bond yields, and every other facet of the economy.

Inflation is the decline of purchasing power of a given currency over time. A quantitative estimate of the rate at which the decline in purchasing power occurs can be reflected in the increase of an average price level of a basket of selected goods and services in an economy over some period of time.

For this reason, UBS economists estimate that over $2 trillion in stimulus this year will generate no more than $1 trillion in GDP. By their calculations, that will create a little positive output gap this year and the next—which would translate to a mild inflation of 1.8%.

What Causes Inflation?

• A Brief Explanation of Inflation. Inflation is an increase in the price level of goods and services throughout a specific time frame.
• Growing Economy.
• Expansion of the Money Supply.
• Government Regulation.
• Managing the National Debt.
• Exchange-Rate Changes.
• The Consequences of Inflation.
• The Takeaway.

Investors may want to consider other asset classes that perform well during inflationary periods, including commodities, real estate, foreign exchange and commodity-linked equity investments.

You can also opt to invest in a mutual fund or exchange traded fund (ETF) that specializes in gold. Many investments have been historically viewed as hedges—or protection—against inflation. These include real estate, commodities, and certain types of stocks and bonds.

Start SIP in mutual funds If that is not your ball game, then go for equity mutual funds. Equity mutual funds give similar kind of investment experience; although with greater diversification and professional fund management. You may think of starting a Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) in equity funds.

Diversification is one of the most effective ways to hedge a portfolio over the long term. By holding uncorrelated assets as well as stocks in a portfolio, overall volatility is reduced. Alternative assets typically lose less value during a bear market, so a diversified portfolio will suffer lower average losses.

When the stock market goes down, volatility generally goes up, which could be a profitable bet for those willing to take risks. Though you can’t invest in VIX directly, products have been developed to make it possible for you to profit from increased market volatility. One of the first was the VXX exchange-traded note.

Hedging strategies are used by investors to reduce their exposure to risk in the event that an asset in their portfolio is subject to a sudden price decline. When properly done, hedging strategies reduce uncertainty and limit losses without significantly reducing the potential rate of return.

Stock market live Tuesday: Dow drops 410 points, down 23% in 2020, Worst first quarter ever. The market wrapped up a brutal quarter on Tuesday as investors searched for a bottom in the fastest bear market ever amid the coronavirus crisis.

Seven badly hit stocks in 2020:

• Occidental Petroleum Corp. (OXY)
• Coty (COTY)
• Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO)
• TechnipFMC (FTI)
• Carnival Corp. (CCL)
• Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH)
• Sabre Corp. (SABR)

S&P 500 Recovery Times Vary Based On Future Returns