So... what do y'all believe, is time linear, cyclical, cuboid, or what?!

I recently heard someone on the news mention how a new satellite telescope would use x-rays to see into the history of our universe; my immediate reaction was 'and these guys are getting paid for this?!'... it's like so-called scientists claiming 'time-travel' might be possible - such nonsense!

Honestly, we all accept that reason would suggest the universe to be infinite and by extension so would be time - at least retrospectively! So, how and to what purpose would we ever see anything of any use to us now by 'looking into the past'?!

Whatever you believe - 'big-bang' or 'creation', surely that is just a curtain or cut-off and there will always be a 'and before that' before anything and everything?