Ethan Siegel
A theoretical astrophysicist and science writer, host of popular podcast "Starts with a Bang!"
Ethan Siegel is a Ph.D. astrophysicist and author of "Starts with a Bang!" He is a science communicator, who professes physics and astronomy at various colleges. He has won numerous awards for science writing since 2008 for his blog, including the award for best science blog by the Institute of Physics. His two books "Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive" and "Beyond the Galaxy: How humanity looked beyond our Milky Way and discovered the entire Universe" are available for purchase at Amazon. Follow him on Twitter @startswithabang.
If our “standard candles” aren’t so standard, is dark energy still real? “Some say the world will end in fire,Some say in ice.From what I’ve tasted of desireI hold with […]
The Universe contains black holes billions of times as massive as our Sun. “It is by going down into the abyss that we recover the treasures of life. Where you […]
It’s the only thing separating real knowledge from ignorant misinformation. “The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it’s scientific truth or historical truth or personal […]
If you knew nothing, Jon Snow, here’s what it’s doing in five simple steps. “Let them see that their words can cut you and you’ll never be free of the […]
It burns so hot and intense, it’s probably already gone. But what a sight! “The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long.” –Lao Tzu Image credit: NASA, […]
Incredible canvases, created with the burning ends of incense sticks. “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” –Pablo Picasso When it comes to the art we make, […]
This past week, the Colima volcano in Mexico erupted spectacularly.César Cantú captured it like never before. “It’s tempting to go to the throat of the volcano to get the data, […]
The possibilities were almost limitless, so why does everything line up? “Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless […]
Without this one piece of the puzzle, everything we know falls apart. “Is no one inspired by our present picture of the Universe? This value of science remains unsung by […]
What the world’s most powerful collider found, and may yet still find. “Innovation is taking two things that already exist and putting them together in a new way.” –Tom Freston […]
Lightning: it isn’t just for stormclouds. “If you are caught on a golf course during a storm and are afraid of lightning, hold up a 1-iron. Not even God can […]
If you ever loved something most people didn’t understand, you’ll get it. “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a […]
Could a strong enough tether save you? Or is your fate inevitable? “Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.”–Alfred A. Montapert Everyone is free to […]
The Universe we see isn’t exactly the Universe that is. How do we translate? “On a cosmic scale, our life is insignificant, yet this brief period when we appear in […]
The highest high tides occur once every 18 years, and can lead to surprising floods. Here’s the science behind them. “But less intelligible still was the flood that was caused […]
Spoiler: NO, not a chance. Now find out why. “There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best […]
The highest-resolution panorama ever taken by a rover illuminates unprecedented detail of the red planet’s surface. “Studying whether there’s life on Mars or studying how the universe began, there’s something […]
And if so, how does Einstein’s relativity — both special and general — cope? “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” -Mario Andretti The end of the week means another dip […]
It’s the greatest source of energy in the Universe, and yet we had no idea until less than 100 years ago. “The sun is a miasmaOf incandescent plasmaThe sun’s not […]
Why “letting there be light” in the Universe isn’t enough. “Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.” –Marcus Aurelius I want you […]
There’s a chance the Earth will turn green, and even though there’s no such thing as a green star, perhaps someday, the Sun will, too. “‘You are a different kind […]
It’s been 43 years since humans walked on the Moon. Here’s our final view. “Curiosity is the essence of human existence. ‘Who are we? Where are we? Where do we […]
Want more realistic sci-fi? Consult a scientist. Here’s how you get access. “The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.” –Isaac […]
What would happen if you pulled a tiny chunk out of a neutron star? “Try to imagine what it will be like to go to sleep and never wake up… […]
How we’re still, only now, just discovering the closest stars to Earth. “As a boy I believed I could make myself invisible. I’m not sure that I ever could, but […]
What makes the Sun shine? For decades, the science didn’t add up. “Every time we get slapped down, we can say, ‘Thank you, Mother Nature,’ because it means we’re about […]
When two giant ellipticals get together, the astronomical chaos is beautiful. “Look and think before opening the shutter. The heart and mind are the true lens of the camera.” –Yousuf […]
This International Women’s Day, celebrate Henrietta Leavitt, who took us beyond the stars and into the galaxies. “Her will tells nearly all. She left an estate worth $314.91, mostly in […]
Einstein’s most famous equation works out more neatly than you’d expect. “It followed from the special theory of relativity that mass and energy are both but different manifestations of the […]
Why is gravity so different from the other forces? On the hierarchy problem. “Science enhances the moral value of life, because it furthers a love of truth and reverence — love of […]