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.
Comet-like tail, X-rays and more discovered at Solar System’s edge. “Maybe some people don’t feel scared when they think about comets and supernovas. Maybe they think it is wonderful.” –Lydia Netzer […]
GAIA Satellite To Find Out If We’re Wrong About Dark Energy And The Expanding Universe “We can only see a short distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that […]
A “double burst” of star formation in a globular cluster may explain our galaxy’s mysterious center. “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.” –J.K. Rowling […]
Is stellar ejection a real thing, and if so, can planets come along for the ride? “Mapping out the elements in a star is like reading its DNA. We’re using those […]
Without colliding with anything since the Universe was 1 second old, these neutrinos still pack a punch! “When you see how fragile and delicate life can be, all else fades […]
How our dream of exploring the stars might actually someday come true. “We are what we are, and we’re doing the best we can. It is not for you to […]
Even if it looked for an infinite amount of time, they’d always be invisible. “Now the world has gone to bed, Darkness won’t engulf my head, I can see by […]
Because “Earth-like” doesn’t necessarily mean “like our Earth.” “I have lost tolerance for things without meaning. There is no time for them. Does that make sense?” –Sara Seager At the end […]
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 […]
And will it get too cold or too hot for our habitability? “What, I sometimes wonder, would it be like if I lived in a country where winter is a […]
But that doesn’t mean it actually works as advertised. “All of the books in the world contain no more information than is broadcast as video in a single large American […]
The strong, weak, electromagnetic and gravitational forces probably aren’t all there is. Did we just find evidence for a fifth? “A careful analysis of the process of observation in atomic physics […]
When our imaginations run wild, it’s important to remember that’s our fault, not the data’s. “Otherwise we are trying to communicate with someone who doesn’t exist with a system which doesn’t […]
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 […]
Astrophysicists have been looking for worlds like Proxima b since the 19th century. At last, they’re found! This article is contributed by Sabine Hossenfelder. Sabine is a theoretical physicist specialized in […]
How we know some galaxies have more than others. “Motions of the stars tell you how much matter there is. They don’t care what form the matter is, they just tell […]
When the next big solar flare comes for Earth, will we be ready? “Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to […]
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 […]
Now that we know the closest star has a potentially habitable planet, it’s time to ask if it’s really like ours. “To consider the Earth as the only populated world in […]
Images credit: New York Times, 10 November 1919 (L); Illustrated London News, 22 November 1919 (R). If the cloud situation had played out differently, the United States might have confirmed […]
https://players.brightcove.net/2097119709001/4kXWOFbfYx_default/index.html?videoId=5093427476001 In 1946, we made history by photographing the Earth from space for the first time. How far we’ve come! “You develop an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an […]
The latest Starts With A Bang Podcast holds the answers. Our Universe has been expanding and evolving since the hot, dense, expanding state known as the Big Bang first came to […]
We’re looking back in time when we look across the light years, so what’s different between what we see and what’s really there? “I saw a star explode and send out […]
Or can moving at relativistic speeds through a general relativistic Universe change everything? “Old age is like a plane flying through a storm. Once you’re aboard, there’s nothing you can […]
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 […]
“Eureka!” is not always as powerful as “that’s what I thought!” “Reality is what kicks back when you kick it. This is just what physicists do with their particle accelerators. […]
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 […]
After nearly 20 years in orbit around Saturn, Cassini prepares to say goodbye. “All the atoms of our bodies will be blown into space in the disintegration of the solar system, […]
Galaxy-sized? Human-sized? Atom-sized? Even smaller? How tiny can a bit of space be and still expand? “We now have the best picture of how galaxies like our own formed their stars.” […]
If you thought Usain Bolt’s 9.58s world record time in the 100 meters was ever in jeopardy, this shows how unlikely that was. “A lot of legends, a lot of people, […]