The answer lies billions of years in the past. “Dark matter or invisible element?You decide.” –Toba Beta When we look out at the luminous matter in the Universe — stars, galaxies, clusters of […]
Search Results
You searched for: sun
Proportional theory, telescopy, time pressure, and the reminiscence bump may each play a role.
Without the inherent quantum uncertainty to nature, the source of all our light and heat would never shine. “The bedrock nature of space and time and the unification of cosmos and […]
They’re not just for dogs and cats to lay in; there’s a real, physical story behind them! “The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments […]
If you thought the Kuiper belt was just icy worlds of various sizes orbiting like Pluto, think again. “There have only been two true planets discovered since ancient times, and this […]
If you gazed up at the Perseids, you’ll want to appreciate the fact that we’re still here. “Honestly, if you’re given the choice between Armageddon or tea, you don’t say ‘what […]
Death, politics and war – but also Dirty Grandpas, supermoons and all-day breakfasts
There’s a small rock orbiting our planet more distant than the Moon we know. Does that mean we have two Moons? “You can be the Moon and still be jealous of […]
If you think federal funding for science is expensive, wait until you see the cost of not funding it. “For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as […]
Einstein’s first great revolution happened way back in 1905. It still puzzles many amateurs and professionals alike even today. “Each ray of light moves in the coordinate system ‘at rest’ with […]
Each might be as heavy as an asteroid and as tiny as a decimal point.
What it means that 2016 is the hottest year on record. “There are now dozens of hockey sticks and the all come to the same basic conclusion. The recent warming does […]
The periodic table offers up so many possibilities, but some things are off-limits in our Solar System. “There’s no god, it’s the elements that control this world and everything on it.” […]
A shining bauble among a diffuse cloud of stellar debris has a tremendously interesting physics story behind it. “Truth is tough. It will not break, like a bubble, at a touch; […]
Just because we know it’s real doesn’t mean it’s easy to create in a lab. “For me the best answer is not in words but in measurements.” –Elena Aprile Atoms, molecules, […]
Could life on Earth have spawned more than once?
Some fear we are meddling with forces too powerful for human control.
Physicists discover strikingly similar structures in human cells and neutron stars.
The Sun might not be responsible for the short-term warming we’re experiencing now, but in the end, it’s all that matters. “We have known since the 1800s that carbon dioxide traps […]
At its hottest, the closest world to the Sun reaches up to 800º Fahrenheit. But another has it beat. “There is no question that climate change is happening; the only arguable […]
It seems inevitable that there will be a Mars colony, but the path there won’t be easy. There are two key challenges ahead that will push innovation.
The present story is only the beginning; there’s a revolution coming! “Our existence in this place, this microscopic corner of the cosmos, is fleeting. With utter disregard for our wants […]
The mission might set a precedent for exploring bodies of water on other moons and worlds as well.
With a whole-planet comparison, you’d never confuse the two worlds. But from their surfaces, telling them apart is harder than you’d think. Image credit: NASA. Think you can tell the red […]
The massive black holes that formed LIGO’s first event were a surprise, and then a mystery. Here’s the long-awaited solution! “Black holes can bang against space-time as mallets on a […]
Occasionally, a star will blow off its outer layers in a sphere. The vast majority don’t, and ours probably won’t, either. “The self-same atoms which, chaotically dispersed, made the nebula, now, […]
It’s the most distant galaxy cluster ever discovered, and it’s exactly in line with our predictions! “These galaxies are among the most massive galaxies in the universe and are believed […]
It’s the most mysterious “stuff” our Universe has. So why are we so sure it’s real? “The Universe is made mostly of dark matter and dark energy, and we don’t know […]
It took hundreds of years for Einstein to dethrone him, and even then, he was off by less than 1% of a spectacular prediction.
When they ask, will you tell them the truth, or something comforting? Why not do both! “It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, […]