Cosmology
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Astronomy
First stars born later than thought
New results from the Planck mission indicate that the first stars began to shine 550 million years after the Big Bang.
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Cosmology
Dust erases evidence for gravity wave detection
The claimed detection of primordial gravitational waves does not hold up after taking into account galactic dust, a new analysis concludes.
By Andrew Grant -
Quantum Physics
Top 10 scientific mysteries for the 21st century
Solving the Top 10 scientific mysteries facing the 21st century will not be all fun but could be mostly games.
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Physics
How blueshift might beat redshift
Even though the expanding universe makes light redder, light emitted by collapsing stars and dust clouds could appear unusually blue.
By Andrew Grant -
Astronomy
Gamma-ray bursts may repeatedly wipe out life
Brief bursts of high-energy radiation may sterilize most planets across the universe, hampering the chances for widespread intelligent life.
By Andrew Grant -
Cosmology
Most precise snapshot of the universe unveiled
New results from the Planck satellite provide the most detailed look yet of the makeup of the universe.
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Physics
Negative mass might not defy Einstein
Repulsive matter could have played a role in the early universe, a computational study finds.
By Andrew Grant -
Cosmology
Galaxies may be aligned across 1 billion light-years
Powerful plasma jets from cores of galaxies seem to mysteriously align with one another and hint at an unknown mechanism shaping galaxy groups.
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Cosmology
Gamma rays offer mixed messages on identity of dark matter
Conflicting results from Fermi telescope puzzle astronomers about dark matter’s true identity.
By Andrew Grant -
Cosmology
‘The Theory of Everything’ reveals Stephen Hawking’s personal side
A new film explores love and science in the life of physicist Stephen Hawking.
By Andrew Grant -
Astronomy
Cosmic jets re-created in a lab
Physicists have recreated in a lab the plasma jets that erupt from young stars and black holes.
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Quantum Physics
Hawking radiation spotted within sonic black hole
Lab-created sonic black hole emits energy as famed physicist Stephen Hawking predicted, though the experiment may not be definitive.
By Andrew Grant