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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Featured
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.
Popular
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?
All Stories
https://players.brightcove.net/2097119709001/4kXWOFbfYx_default/index.html?videoId=5131037086001 It’s the 10th anniversary of dark matter’s most compelling proof. “It may be that ultimately the search for dark matter will turn out to be the most expensive and […]
For thousands upon thousands of years, we didn’t know whether the other stars in the Universe were even like our Sun, much less whether they had planets around them like […]
What’s the difference between “point-like” and what we can actually state? “When we think about the present, we veer wildly between the belief in chance and the evidence in favour of […]
Rather than life arising on Earth, did it already exist in space prior to our planet’s formation? “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it […]
Dark energy tells us what the Universe is doing right now, and it’s disconcerting. But its fate has some incredible possibilities. “Even if I stumble on to the absolute truth […]
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 […]