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Black Hole
Falling into a black hole is forever… but could a tether to the outside pull you back out? “Nobody ever did, or ever will, escape the consequences of his choices.” –Alfred A. […]
Did they perform their analysis sub-optimally? Maybe. But gravitational waves were seen no matter what. “We hope that interested people will repeat our calculations and will make up their own minds […]
Now we know, on every scale. “There is no such thing as perpetual tranquillity of mind while we live here; because life itself is but motion, and can never be without […]
Never heard of SKA, the square kilometer array? Once it starts taking data, you’ll never forget it. “Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for […]
Gravitational waves and electromagnetic ones don’t need to go together. But physics says it’s possible; what do the observations say? “The black holes collide in complete darkness. None of the […]
Every star must eventually run out of fuel and die… but did you know the galaxy itself will come to an end someday? “Unless one says goodbye to what one loves, […]
A live-blog event happened a week ago, but you can catch the entire thing anew here, right now! “We have never observed infinity in nature. Whenever you have infinities in […]
You might think that it should be all black, but then how would we see it? “It is conceptually interesting, if not astrophysically very important, to calculate the precise apparent shape […]
Was it really a low-entropy state? And what does that mean for the second law of thermodynamics? “Entropy shakes its angry fist at you for being clever enough to organize […]
We’ve never seen an event horizon, nor directly imaged a black hole. Thanks to a worldwide effort, victory may at last be in sight. “Never look down to test the ground […]
How to turn a galaxy on, once and for all. “Speculating and predicting what lies beyond the boundary is fascinating. Finding out is even more fascinating.” –Wallace H. Tucker When two […]
Merging black holes are some of the most extreme events in the Universe. Could a modified event horizon reveal quantum gravity? “The bedrock nature of space and time and the unification […]
Gravity is the oldest fundamental force ever discovered. Might it not be fundamental after all? “The whole edifice of modern physics is built up on the fundamental hypothesis of the atomic […]
They’re the darkest, most massive things in the Universe. How come they have nothing to do with each other? “All enterprises that are entered into with indiscreet zeal may be pursued […]
And what are our prospects for observing its event horizon? “Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the […]
There’s a big gap between Helium and Carbon. Come find out why! “And argon, krypton, neon, radon, xenon, zinc and rhodium,And chlorine, cobalt, carbon, copper, tungsten, tin and sodium.These are the […]
How they get so big so fast is a mystery. Could “direct collapse” be the solution we’re seeking? “For something to collapse, not all systems have to shut down. In most […]
The force of empty space isn’t always zero. Here’s how an electromagnetic experiment might be the key to dark energy. “Another very good test some readers may want to look up… […]