big bang
MIT researchers probe why antimatter violates the fundamental symmetry of physics
If the laws of physics are symmetrical as we think they are, then the Big Bang should have created matter and antimatter in the same amount.
Study finds new ways of detecting dark matter in black holes
A new study proposes that Hawking radiation could be used to find dark matter in places like primordial black holes.
The universe is expanding faster than estimated, finds new study
The controversy over the universe's expansion rate continues with a new, faster estimate.
A technique to sift out the universe’s first gravitational waves
Identifying primordial ripples would be key to understanding the conditions of the early universe.
How ‘heat death’ will destroy the universe
The expansion of the universe is speeding up—contrary to what many physicists expected. A "heat death" is coming, but it's not what you think.
▸
7 min
—
with
The universe keeps dying and being reborn, claims Nobel Prize winner
Sir Roger Penrose claims our universe has been through multiple Big Bangs, with more coming.
3 wonders of the universe, explained
Astronomer Michelle Thaller schools us on what atoms really look, the Big Bang theory, and the speed of light.
▸
9 min
—
with
New simulations show how supermassive black holes form
Researchers from Japan add a new wrinkle to a popular theory and set the stage for the formation of monstrous black holes.
Space exploration is the ultimate plan B. Here’s why.
Why did the dinosaurs go extinct? Because they didn't have a space program.
▸
4 min
—
with
Physicists probe why the Universe exists and has matter
A new study rocks prevailing theories on antimatter in the early Universe.
What can old stars teach us about the birth of our galaxy?
These needles in the vast galactic haystack take more effort to find, but they help piece together our origins.
▸
7 min
—
with
Is the universe controlled by gigantic structures?
The idea that celestial objects exist within utterly immense cosmic structures is becoming inescapable.
Who—or what—caused the first cause?
Archetypes of creation and the origin of all things.
Could ‘Planet 9’ actually be an ancient black hole?
A new paper suggests a primordial black hole may be making things weird at the edge of our solar system.
Michio Kaku: Feedback loops are creating consciousness
Our ability to make predictions about the future distinguishes our level of consciousness.
▸
6 min
—
with
Expansive questions
Our first “Ask a Scientist" feature is all about the ever-growing universe.
The Big Bounce: Why our universe might be eternal
When it comes to theories of the universe, the Big Bang theory is almost accepted as a fact. However, it's still uncertain, and some scientists believe that the universe didn't began with a bang, but a bounce.
What is the cosmic web?
When you zoom far enough out, our universe has a very unusual structure.
Where do atoms come from? Billions of years of cosmic fireworks.
The periodic table was a lot simpler at the beginning of the universe.
▸
6 min
—
with
Why the universe’s ancient galaxies were extra bright
New research based on observational data from the Spitzer telescope provides clues as to how the universe first emerged from its dark age.
Watch how this video brilliantly compares planet sizes
What if all planets were the same distance from Earth as the Moon?
Scientists discover how to trap mysterious dark matter
A new method promises to capture an elusive dark world particle.
The science of expansion: Andromeda, gravity, and the ‘Big Rip’
If the universe is expanding in all directions, why is Andromeda hurtling toward the Milky Way?
▸
4 min
—
with
Testing the limits of cosmology
Physicists attempt to answer some of science's biggest questions about the universe.
▸
with
Great scientific discoveries hide in boring places
NASA's Michelle Thaller explains how an accidental discovery led to the 1978 Nobel Prize in Physics.
▸
2 min
—
with
How kugelblitz black holes could power future spacecraft
In theory, we could use high-energy lasers to make our own artificial black holes, potentially capturing the enormous energy they emit.
Bizarre ‘dark fluid’ with negative mass could dominate the universe – what my research suggests
A new study may change the face of astrophysics.
The universe is dying, new study confirms
Star production peaked three billion years after the Big Bang.
Droplets of primordial soup are cooked up by scientists
Matter from the first few microseconds after the Big Bang.
The Big Bang wasn’t an explosion. Visualize it like this.
NASA's Michelle Thaller explains why the term 'Big Bang' is misleading, and how to best imagine the shape of the universe.
▸
4 min
—
with