The Universe is out there, waiting for you to discover it.
Our mission: to answer, scientifically, the biggest questions of all.
- What is our Universe made of?
- How did it become the way it is today?
- Where did everything come from?
- What is the ultimate fate of the cosmos?
For countless generations, these were questions without resolutions. Now, for the first time in history, we have scientific answers. Starts With A Bang, written by Dr. Ethan Siegel, brings these stories — of what we know and how we know it — directly to you.
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Why power generated through nuclear fusion will be the future, but not the present, solution to humanity’s energy needs.
It’s a strange idea to consider: that a tiny building block of matter, the atomic nucleus, holds the greatest potential for energy release.
And yet, it’s true; while electron transitions in atoms or molecules typically release energy on the order of ~1 electron-Volt, nuclear transitions between different configurations release energies a million times as great, on the order of ~1 Mega-electron-Volt.
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From before the Big Bang to the present day, the Universe goes through many eras. Dark energy heralds the final one.
A wild, compelling idea without a direct, practical test, the Multiverse is highly controversial. But its supporting pillars sure are stable.
The surface and atmosphere is colored by ferric oxides. Beneath a very thin layer, mere millimeters deep in places, it’s not red anymore.
The first supernova ever discovered through its X-rays has an enormously powerful engine at its core. It’s unlike anything ever seen.
Just 13.8 billion years after the hot Big Bang, we can see 46.1 billion light-years away in all directions. Doesn’t that violate…something?
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There could be variables beyond the ones we’ve identified and know how to measure. But they can’t get rid of quantum weirdness.
NASA’s 1958 charter’s top priority was, “the expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space.” Is this how it ends?
For many of us, our imperfect vision compels us to wear corrective lenses to see properly. Here’s what everyone should know about LASIK.
Across planet Earth, dark and pristine night skies are an increasingly rare resource. These photos showcase the best of what we still have.
The Universe was born incredibly hot, and has expanded and cooled ever since. Could life have begun back when space was “room temperature?”
Just 13.8 billion years after the hot Big Bang, we can see 46.1 billion light-years away in all directions. Doesn’t that violate…something?
Einstein is credited with saying, “If the facts don’t fit the theory, change the facts.” What he actually said has a very different meaning.
At the center of Hubble’s famous “cosmic horseshoe,” a very heavy supermassive black hole has been robustly measured. How is it possible?
A next-generation collider is required for studying particle physics at the frontiers. Here’s the fastest, cheapest way to get it done.
In the search for life in the Universe, the ultimate goal is to find an inhabited planet beyond Earth. How will we know when we’ve made it?
Parallel universes are among the most profound notions in all of quantum physics. It’s a compelling and fascinating idea, but is it true?
Amplifying the energy within a laser, over and over, won’t get you an infinite amount of energy. There’s a fundamental limit due to physics.
There are real concerns with long-term power generation on the Moon; nuclear could be the answer. But for NASA, will the cost be too high?
At the end of July, hundreds of scientists convened to plan NASA’s upcoming astrophysics flagship mission. Will the US allow it to happen?
Two supermassive black holes on an inevitable death spiral push the limits of Einstein’s relativity. New observations reveal even more.
When it comes to our Universe’s origins, scientists discuss the Big Bang, cosmic inflation, and other theories. Why doesn’t “God” come up?
On the largest scales, galaxies don’t simply clump together, but form superclusters. Too bad they don’t remain bound together.
The conversation you’re having with an LLM about groundbreaking new ideas in theoretical physics is completely meritless. Here’s why.
Somewhere, at some point in the history of our Universe, life arose. We’re evidence of that here on Earth, but many big puzzles remain.
Even just by examining the Moon with the unaided eye, we can learn an incredible amount about the Moon, Earth, and more.