A Latin American astrophysicist has debunked Stephen Hawking's assertions about the origin of the universe.

Mexican cosmologist Leticia Corral has been recognized for her career-defining theory about how the universe came into existence. Contrary to what the world-renowned astrophysicist has been advocating over the years, Corral believes the universe is cyclical.

"Everything started from one point and that it returns to that," she told Deconstrucción. Corral pointed out that Hawking overlooked the concept of asymmetry when defining time.

It can be remembered that Hawking's own interpretation of cosmological facts led him to believe that the universe was the work of a singular and scientifically explainable phenomenon, not of a supreme deity.

"Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe,'" Hawking told El Mundo, as translated by CNet. "But now science offers a more convincing explanation."

Hawking shared more details about his absolute pronouncement during a free lecture on "The Origin of the Universe" in Pasadena, California. He even mused, "What was God doing before the divine creation? Was he preparing hell for people who asked such questions?"

After giving a quick historical background on cosmology and relativistic physics, Hawking discussed the idea of a Big Bang. He mentioned that back in the 1980s, he and mathematical physicist Roger Penrose nullified prior theories when they proved that the universe could not "bounce" when it contracted, meaning time began at the moment of singularity.

Hawking said this phenomenon has likely occurred only once and that the age of the universe, believed to be about 13.8 billion years, perfectly fits the model, as per NBC News.

The septuagenarian also talked about the M-theory, which is partly based on the ideas of another famed physicist, Richard Feynman. Hawking sees the theory as the only concept that actually explains what he has observed about the universe thus far.

The M-theory suggests that multiple universes were formed out of nothing. Hawking explained that with many possible states of existence, only a few of them could support life, and even fewer could actually sustain humanity. He concluded his lecture by saying that he felt fortunate to be living in this particular state of existence.

As for Corral, she was awarded by the International Association of Engineers for her new discovery. Her work makes it possible for scientists to know more about the expansion cycle and if the universe is drawing closer to the Big Crunch, a scenario where the metric expansion of space reverses, causing everything to recollapse.