• Largest Spiral Galaxy in the Universe Confirmed --FiveTimes Size of the Milky Way

    Updated: 2013-01-11 16:32:46
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Image of the Day : Mystery Cloud at Milky Way's Center Main January 11, 2013 Largest Spiral Galaxy in the Universe Confirmed FiveTimes Size of the Milky Way The spectacular barred spiral galaxy NGC 6872 has ranked among the biggest stellar systems for decades . Now a team of astronomers from the United States , Chile and Brazil has crowned it the largest-known spiral , based on archival data from NASA's Galaxy Evolution Explorer GALEX mission , which has since been loaned to the California Institute of Technology , Pasadena , Calif . Measuring tip-to-tip across its two outsized spiral arms , NGC 6872 spans more than 522,000 light-years , making it more than five times the size of our Milky . Way Without

  • Image of the Day: Mystery Cloud at Milky Way's Center

    Updated: 2013-01-11 16:05:11
    : : The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Ice on Titan's Lakes : May Host an Exotic Form of Life NASA JPL Main Largest Spiral Galaxy in the Universe Confirmed FiveTimes Size of the Milky Way January 11, 2013 Image of the Day : Mystery Cloud at Milky Way's Center The image above , taken with NASA's Spitzer infrared space telescope , shows the mysterious galactic cloud , seen as the black object on the left . The galactic center is the bright spot on the right . It's the mystery of the curiously dense cloud near the crowded galactic center , where billowing clouds of gas and dust cloak a supermassive black hole three million times as massive as the sun—a black hole whose gravity is strong enough to grip stars that are whipping around it at

  • Midwest muon experiments carry on East Coast legacy

    Updated: 2013-01-10 18:00:00
    This spring, scientists at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory will break ground on the buildings for a Muon Campus. The two initial experiments proposed for the campus draw on three decades of technological advances to turn muons into supersensitive probes for physics beyond the Standard Model.

  • The 'New Physics' Model of Dark Energy Nixed

    Updated: 2013-01-10 16:07:41
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy When Alligators Roamed the Arctic Big Global Change 34-Million Years Ago Shows Shift from Greenhouse Age to Ice Age Main January 10, 2013 The New Physics' Model of Dark Energy Nixed Last month , a group of European astronomers , using a massive radio telescope in Germany , made the most accurate measurement of the proton-to-electron mass ratio ever accomplished and found that there has been no change in the ratio to one part in 10 million at a time when the universe was about half its current age , around 7 billion years ago . When University of Arizona astronomy professor Rodger Thompson put this new measurement into his calculations , he found that it excluded almost all of the dark energy models

  • Physicist homes in on universe's earliest magnetic fields

    Updated: 2013-01-10 15:11:47
    How primordial magnetism arose out of nothing

  • Identity physics

    Updated: 2013-01-10 09:00:00
    Robert P Crease wants your new quantum metaphors

  • The revolution will be typeset

    Updated: 2013-01-10 09:00:00
    Duncan Steele explains how one of the most widely used tools in physics – LaTeX – is adapting to the era of tablet computers

  • The revolution will be typeset

    Updated: 2013-01-10 09:00:00
    Duncan Steele

  • New Skeleton Structure Discovered in Milky Way

    Updated: 2013-01-10 03:12:48
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Star Systems Vega and Formalhaut Appear to Host Multiple Planets Main When Alligators Roamed the Arctic Big Global Change 34-Million Years Ago Shows Shift from Greenhouse Age to Ice Age January 09, 2013 New Skeleton Structure Discovered in Milky Way Astronomers have identified a new structure in the Milky Way a long tendril of dust and gas that they are calling a bone . quot Our Milky Way is a spiral galaxy a pinwheel-shaped collection of stars , gas and dust . It has a central bar and two major spiral arms that wrap around its disk . Since we view the Milky Way from the inside , its exact structure is difficult to . observe This is the first time we've seen such a delicate piece of the galactic

  • International Conference on Neutron Scattering 2013 (ICNS)

    Updated: 2013-01-10 00:00:00
    Conference/exhibition: 8 Jul 2013 - 12 Jul 2013, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom. Organized by The Institute of Physics.

  • Smart Systems Integration 2013

    Updated: 2013-01-10 00:00:00
    Conference/exhibition: 13 Mar 2013 - 14 Mar 2013, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH.

  • Star Systems Vega and Formalhaut Appear to Host Multiple Planets

    Updated: 2013-01-09 15:38:36
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Extreme Brown Dwarf' Weather Massive Clouds of Sand and Liquid Iron Main January 09, 2013 Star Systems Vega and Formalhaut Appear to Host Multiple Planets The discovery of an asteroid belt-like band of debris around Vega makes the star similar to another observed star called Fomalhaut image above The data are consistent with both stars having inner , warm belts and outer , cool belts separated by a gap . This architecture is similar to the asteroid and Kuiper belts in our own solar system . What is maintaining the gap between the warm and cool belts around Vega and Fomalhaut The results strongly suggest the answer is multiple planets . Our solar system's asteroid belt , which lies between Mars and

  • Extreme 'Brown Dwarf' Weather --Massive Clouds of Sand and Liquid Iron

    Updated: 2013-01-09 14:45:55
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Ice on Titan's Lakes : May Host an Exotic Form of Life NASA JPL Main Star Systems Vega and Formalhaut Appear to Host Multiple Planets January 09, 2013 Extreme Brown Dwarf' Weather Massive Clouds of Sand and Liquid Iron Unlike the water clouds of Earth or the ammonia clouds of Jupiter , clouds on brown dwarfs are composed of hot grains of sand , liquid drops of iron , and other exotic compounds , quot said Mark Marley , research scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field , Calif . and co-author of the paper . So this large atmospheric disturbance found by Spitzer and Hubble gives a new meaning to the concept of extreme weather . quot What we see here is evidence for massive , organized

  • Outburst from Enormous Black Hole 11-Billion Years Ago Swept Past Earth in 2011 --"Brighter than All the Stars in Milky Way"

    Updated: 2013-01-09 03:19:12
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Astronomers Awed by Colossal Galaxy Outburst 10-Times Brighter than Largest Supernova Main Ice on Titan's Lakes : May Host an Exotic Form of Life NASA JPL January 08, 2013 Outburst from Enormous Black Hole 11-Billion Years Ago Swept Past Earth in 2011 Brighter than All the Stars in Milky Way In early November , 2011, a months-long blast of energy launched by an enormous black hole almost 11 billion years ago swept past Earth . At the height of the outburst , the galaxy was more than 10,000 times brighter than the combined luminosity of all of the stars in our Milky Way galaxy Using a combination of data from NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the National Science Foundation's Very Long Baseline

  • Statistical Mechanics of Biological Cooperativity

    Updated: 2013-01-09 00:00:00
    Workshop: 22 May 2013 - 25 May 2013, Mariehamn, Åland, Finland.

  • WITec AFM/Raman Workshop

    Updated: 2013-01-09 00:00:00
    Workshop: 5 Feb 2013, Leatherhead, Surrey, United Kingdom. Organized by LOT-QuantumDesign.

  • Bosons

    Updated: 2013-01-08 16:43:38
    There are two kinds of elementary particles in the universe: bosons and fermions. Bosons don’t mind sitting on top of each other, sharing the same space. In principle, you could pile an infinite number of bosons into the tiniest bucket. Fermions, on the other hand, don’t share space: only a limited number of fermions would fit into the bucket. Matter, as you might guess, is made of fermions, which stack to form three-dimensional structures. The force fields that bind fermions to each other are made of bosons. Bosons are the glue holding matter together.

  • Baksan: No Dark Matter In A 24 Year Long Exposure Of The Sun!

    Updated: 2013-01-08 15:21:23
    : Ø Ø Ø FAQ Register Now Sign In Full Site Physical Sciences Earth Sciences Life Sciences Medicine Social Sciences Culture Newsletter HOME PHYSICAL SCIENCES PHYSICS SPACE CHEMISTRY APPLIED PHYSICS AEROSPACE OPTICS EARTH SCIENCES ENVIRONMENT ENERGY ATMOSPHERIC PALEONTOLOGY GEOLOGY OCEANOGRAPHY LIFE SCIENCES GENETICS MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EVOLUTION MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY ZOOLOGY IMMUNOLOGY NEUROSCIENCE MEDICINE CANCER RESEARCH PUBLIC HEALTH PHARMACOLOGY CLINICAL RESEARCH AGING VISION SOCIAL SCIENCES ANTHROPOLOGY ARCHAEOLOGY PSYCHOLOGY SCIENCE EDUCATION POLICY SCIENCE HISTORY PHILOSOPHY ETHICS CULTURE TECHNOLOGY MATHEMATICS SCIENCE SOCIETY SPORTS SCIENCE RANDOM THOUGHTS HUMOR VIDEO CONTRIBUTORS Subscribe to the newsletter x Stay in touch with the scientific world Home Physical Sciences Space A

  • Astronomers Awed by Colossal Galaxy Outburst 10-Times Brighter than Largest Supernova

    Updated: 2013-01-08 15:16:41
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Kepler Mission Planet Discoveries Top 2,740 With 4 New Planets Less than Twice Size of Earth Main Outburst from Enormous Black Hole 11-Billion Years Ago Swept Past Earth in 2011 Brighter than All the Stars in Milky Way January 08, 2013 Astronomers Awed by Colossal Galaxy Outburst 10-Times Brighter than Largest Supernova The scientists were conducting a long-term study of molecules in galaxies when one of the galaxies showed a startling change . The discovery was entirely serendipitous . Our observations were spread over a few years , and when we looked at them , we found that one galaxy had changed over that time from being placid and quiescent , to undergoing a hugely energetic outburst at the end ,

  • The secret of Picasso’s paint

    Updated: 2013-01-07 18:00:00
    Although he was one of the few artists who attained wealth from his trade, Pablo Picasso used inexpensive, common house paint for some of his works. Perhaps more surprising is that, decades after he painted his greatest masterpieces, a facility with fundamental physics roots identified that paint using a powerful instrument to peer, for the first time, at individual pigment particles comprising some of Picasso’s paintings.

  • Brilliant Glow of Two Extreme Black Holes Observed

    Updated: 2013-01-07 10:00:00
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Hyper-Violent Worlds of the Milky Way's Binary Star Systems Main Fifteen New Planets Discovered in Habitable Zones Earth-Sized Moons Prime Life Candidates January 07, 2013 Brilliant Glow of Two Extreme Black Holes Observed Launched last June , NuSTAR is the first orbiting telescope with the ability to focus high-energy X-ray light . It can view objects in considerably greater detail than previous missions operating at similar wavelengths . Since launch , the NuSTAR team has been fine-tuning the telescope , which includes a mast the length of a school bus connecting the mirrors and . detectors The new image above showcase why NuSTAR is giving us an unprecedented look at the cosmos , quot said Lou

  • New Chandra Movie Features Neutron Star Action

    Updated: 2013-01-07 05:00:00
    A new Chandra movie of the Vela pulsar shows it may be "precessing," or wobbling as it spins.

  • Hyper-Violent Worlds of the Milky Way's Binary Star Systems

    Updated: 2013-01-06 21:01:09
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Comment of the Day' : Life is Everywhere . Intelligence is Everywhere . Main January 06, 2013 Hyper-Violent Worlds of the Milky Way's Binary Star Systems Planetary systems with very distant binary stars are particularly susceptible to violent disruptions , more so than if they had stellar companions with tighter orbits around them . Unlike the Sun , many stars are members of binary star systems where two stars orbit one another and these stars' planetary systems can be altered by the gravity of their companion stars . The orbits of very distant or wide stellar companions often become very eccentric ie . less circular over time , driving the once-distant star into a plunging orbit that passes very close

  • The Weekend Image: Milky Way's Omega Centauri --Ancient Dwarf Galaxy Remnant

    Updated: 2013-01-05 15:09:54
    : : The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Mars Curiosity' Explores Snake River Area of Gale Crater Main Alien Biochemistries Astrobiologists Anticipate Discovering Non-Carbon Life Forms Weekend Feature January 05, 2013 The Weekend Image : Milky Way's Omega Centauri Ancient Dwarf Galaxy Remnant The giant cluster Omega Centauri , which hosts millions of stars and may be the remains of a small galaxy . Omega Centauri also known as NGC 5139 is the largest , brightest and most massive of our galaxy's 150 or so globular star clusters Packing some 10 million stars into a region just 150 light-years across , Omega Centauri is easily visible to the unaided eye despite lying nearly 16,000 light-years away . Unlike other star clusters , whose members

  • Einstein's E=MC2 May Breakdown in Outer Space

    Updated: 2013-01-04 16:24:52
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Black Holes Should Glow with a Ring of Light Weekend Feature Main January 04, 2013 Einstein's E=MC2 May Breakdown in Outer Space University of Arizona physicist Andrei Lebed has stirred the physics community with an intriguing idea yet to be tested experimentally : The world's most iconic equation , Albert Einstein's E=mc2, may be correct or not depending on where you are in . space With the first explosions of atomic bombs , the world became witness to one of the most important and consequential principles in physics : Energy and mass , fundamentally speaking , are the same thing and can , in fact , be converted into each other . This was first demonstrated by Albert Einstein's Theory of Special

  • Black Holes "Should Glow with a Ring of Light" (Weekend Feature)

    Updated: 2013-01-04 11:36:00
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Gigantic Disc of Dwarf Galaxies Discovered Orbiting Andromeda Main Einstein's E=MC2 May Breakdown in Outer Space January 04, 2013 Black Holes Should Glow with a Ring of Light Weekend Feature Stephen Hawking's great discovery was that the mysterious regions in space we call black holes radiate heat through quantum effects . Hawking has said that black holes are not really black after all : they glow like a hot body , and the smaller they are , the more they glow . quot Hawking's famous theory says that the temperature of a black hole varies inversely to its mass . The mathematician  Louis Crane proposed a scifi-like scenario back in 1994 that billions of years in the future , after all the stars have

  • The gift of beam: Neutron therapy restarts at Fermilab

    Updated: 2013-01-03 17:25:56
    Amid the forest of wires and machines in Fermilab's Linac Gallery is a small, windowless room accessible only through a sliding steel door. With wood-paneled walls and a couple of white, synthetic orchids in full bloom, the room seems like it belongs in a home from the 1960s and not among the complex technology of a national accelerator laboratory.

  • Gigantic Disc of Dwarf Galaxies Discovered Orbiting Andromeda

    Updated: 2013-01-03 17:04:24
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy 100 Billion New Kepler Mission Rosetta-Stone' Discovery Reveals Planetary Systems as the Cosmic Norm Main January 03, 2013 Gigantic Disc of Dwarf Galaxies Discovered Orbiting Andromeda A newly discovered form of circle dancing is perplexing astronomers not due to its complex choreography , but because it's unclear why the dancers dwarf galaxies are dancing in a ring around the much larger Andromeda Galaxy The finding presents a challenge to our ideas of how all galaxies form and evolve . The surprising research result reveals that around half of Andromeda's 30-odd known dwarf galaxy satellites are orbiting the larger Andromeda Galaxy the closest giant cosmic neighbor to our Milky . Way The international

  • Dark Matter --Could It Play a Role in Creating Life in the Universe? (2012 Most Popular)

    Updated: 2013-01-02 17:21:36
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Magnetic Fields of the Universe Preceeded Stars New Discovery Main January 02, 2013 Dark Matter Could It Play a Role in Creating Life in the Universe 2012 Most Popular Dark matter makes up the majority of mass in our universe However , we cannot directly measure the stuff as it doesn't interact with electromagnetic radiation i.e . it doesn't emit or reflect any light but we can indirectly observe its presence . In the Hubble Space Telescope image above , the distribution of mostly dark matter has been calculated and mapped . Basically , the location and density of anything with mass has been plotted in a 3D representation of the . cosmos A 2011 study suggests that mysterious , invisible dark matter

  • "Magnetic Fields of the Universe Preceeded Stars" --New Discovery

    Updated: 2013-01-02 17:03:28
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy The Universe Began With a Big Chill' Not Big Bang 2012 Most Popular Main Dark Matter Could It Play a Role in Creating Life in the Universe 2012 Most Popular January 02, 2013 Magnetic Fields of the Universe Preceeded Stars New Discovery Following the Big Bang the universe consisted only of nonmagnetic elements and particles . Now , a new mechanism has been discovered for the magnetisation of the universe even before the emergence of the first stars . Before the formation of the first stars , the luminous matter consisted only of a fully ionised gas of protons , electrons , helium nuclei and lithium nuclei which were produced during the Big . Bang All higher metals , for example , magnetic iron could ,

  • The discoveries continue

    Updated: 2013-01-02 16:00:15
    This is quite the time in particle physics. Some of the most exciting discoveries in a decade have been made over the past year, and the coming years promise new endeavors and new findings.

  • "The Universe Began With a 'Big Chill' --Not Big Bang" (2012 Most Popular)

    Updated: 2013-01-02 12:00:00
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Did Life First Appear on Alien Worlds 12-13 Billion Years Ago Ask Leading Astrobiologists Main Magnetic Fields of the Universe Preceeded Stars New Discovery January 02, 2013 The Universe Began With a Big Chill' Not Big Bang 2012 Most Popular The start of the Universe should be modeled not as a  Big Bang but more like water freezing into ice , according to a team of theoretical physicists at the  University of Melbourne and  RMIT University that could our revolutionized our understanding of the nature of the Universe . 0160 The key , they propose , is to be found in the cracks and crevices common to all . crystals Albert Einstein assumed that space and time were continuous and flowed smoothly , but we

  • Image of the Day: Milky Way's Core Source of Monster Energy Outflows

    Updated: 2013-01-02 09:00:00
    : : The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Did Life First Appear on Alien Worlds 12-13 Billion Years Ago Ask Leading Astrobiologists Main The Universe Began With a Big Chill' Not Big Bang 2012 Most Popular January 02, 2013 Image of the Day : Milky Way's Core Source of Monster Energy Outflows Monster outflows of charged particles from the center of our Galaxy , stretching more than halfway across the sky , have been detected and mapped with Australia's CSIRO's 64-m Parkes radio telescope The outflows were were detected by astronomers from Australia , the USA , Italy and The Netherlands . They report their finding in today's issue of Nature These outflows contain an extraordinary amount of energy about a million times the energy of an

  • "Did Life First Appear on Alien Worlds 12-13 Billion Years Ago?" --Ask Leading Astrobiologists

    Updated: 2013-01-01 17:03:19
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy 90 of Distant Galaxies in Universe Undetected 2012 Most Popular Main January 01, 2013 Did Life First Appear on Alien Worlds 12-13 Billion Years Ago Ask Leading Astrobiologists The abundance of heavy elements in the Universe has grown over history . In the past the average metallicity would be quite a bit less . Again , under the previous paradigm this had been assumed to preclude rocky planet formation early in the Universe , but now we know that such planets could have been constructed in environments that contained much poorer levels of heavy . elements This means that planets that could potentially have supported life may have formed eight , ten , maybe even twelve billion years ago . Surveys do

  • "90% of Distant Galaxies in Universe Undetected" --(2012 Most Popular)

    Updated: 2012-12-31 16:34:02
    The Daily Galaxy Great Discoveries Channel : Sci , Space , Tech Follow the Daily Galaxy Advanced ET Technology May Exist on a Third Level' Beyond Matter 2012 Most Popular Main December 31, 2012 90 of Distant Galaxies in Universe Undetected 2012 Most Popular The European Space Agency s Herschel space telescope has discovered that previously unseen distant galaxies are responsible for a cosmic fog of infrared radiation The galaxies are some of the faintest and furthest objects seen by Herschel , and open a new window on the birth of stars in the early Universe . Astronomers estimate that there are billions and billions of galaxies in the observable universe as well as some seven trillion dwarf galaxies ESA astronomers say that for every ten far galaxies observed , a hundred go . undetected

  • A model partnership

    Updated: 2012-12-18 16:22:47
    In September 2010, about 100 theoretical particle physicists gathered at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory for a workshop unique in purpose and unprecedented in scope: This group of theorists was determined to rewrite the way Large Hadron Collider data is interpreted—in effect, the way scientific discoveries are made in the realm of high-energy physics.

  • From Super to Ultra: Just How Big Can Black Holes Get?

    Updated: 2012-12-18 05:00:00
    Some of the biggest black holes in the Universe may actually be even bigger than previously thought, according to a study using data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory.

  • Ironing out an astrophysics problem

    Updated: 2012-12-14 00:00:00
    Space telescopes have greatly advanced our understanding of the universe, but they have also surfaced some new and puzzling problems. Recently scientists gained insight into a mismatch between theory and observation uncovered by space telescope research by using a ground-based X-ray technology that grew out of particle physics.

  • Revealing Hidden Black Holes

    Updated: 2012-12-13 05:00:00
    This composite image shows the spiral galaxy NGC 3627, located about 30 million light years from Earth.

  • DOE grants CD-1 approval to LBNE project

    Updated: 2012-12-12 16:11:23
    The Long-Baseline Neutrino Experiment achieved a significant milestone this week. The US Department of Energy on Monday granted Critical Decision 1 approval to the first phase of LBNE, which includes construction of a beamline at Fermilab and a near-surface far detector at the Sanford Lab in Lead, South Dakota. One of the largest proposed neutrino experiments in the world, LBNE will send neutrinos generated at Fermilab through 800 miles of earth to the South Dakota detector.

  • Fundamental Physics Prize recognizes Higgs hunters

    Updated: 2012-12-11 17:29:23
    Many have speculated about which theorists the Nobel Committee might honor for the prediction of the Higgs boson, but it was the experimentalists involved in the search for the particle who received recognition today. 

  • Decay channel

    Updated: 2012-12-11 16:07:37
    Decay channels are the possible transformations a particle can undergo as it decays. When a particle decays, it does not break into smaller bits; its energy does. Even fundamental particles—so named because they are the basic building blocks of matter that cannot be broken into smaller parts—can decay. Many particles in the Standard Model exist for only a limited time before decaying. When a particle decays, it transforms into collections of less massive particles whose combined energy adds up to the energy of the original particle.

  • Eyes on Andromeda

    Updated: 2012-12-11 10:30:46
    The practice of astronomy is different than it used to be. Back in the day, the image was of the lone astronomer, sitting at their telescope, communing with the universe.  Over time, we got more use to the idea that maybe groups of astronomers might come together to work on a common project.  But still, [...]

  • This Week’s Hype

    Updated: 2012-12-10 20:45:29
    Space.com has a new story entitled Space Bursts Provide Insight to Theory of Everything, which has been picked up elsewhere as “evidence for string theory”. For instance Physicists Find New Evidence Of A ‘Theory Of Everything’ In The Wreckage Of … Continue reading →

  • Budget woes force rethink of proposed flagship physics experiment in Italy

    Updated: 2012-12-06 16:33:36
    In its infancy, the universe was made of nearly equal parts matter and antimatter. Yet matter overwhelmingly dominates today. Scientists design experiments that examine the conditions of the early universe to investigate why. An international collaboration of scientists proposed to build one such project, a particle collider that would specialize in creating B mesons, in Italy over the next several years. However, last week the Italian government withdrew funding for the project, citing the country's weakened economic state.

  • Transition

    Updated: 2012-12-06 13:00:26
    This isn’t an easy post to write, but it’s time for me to leave Cosmic Variance and Discover and go back to blogging on my own. It’s a move I’ve been contemplating for a long time, essentially unrelated to the recent website update here. After having blogged for many years, I’ve decided that I’m happiest [...]

  • Searching for the Best Black Hole Recipe

    Updated: 2012-12-06 05:00:00
    NGC 922 was formed by the collision between two galaxies - one seen in this image and another located outside the field of view.

  • Forty Years of String Theory

    Updated: 2012-12-06 03:08:08
    The journal Foundations of Physics has been promising a special issue on “Forty Years of String Theory: Reflecting on the Foundations” for quite a while now, with a contribution first appearing back when it really was 40 years since the … Continue reading →

  • Scientists propose new projects to unravel dark energy secrets

    Updated: 2012-12-05 17:39:38
    About 5 billion years ago the universe underwent a crucial transition. The gravitational tug that pulled together the matter in the universe was overwhelmed by a different, repulsive phenomenon. As a result, the universe began to expand at an accelerating rate. Scientists have given that phenomenon a name: dark energy. However, they can say with confidence only what it does, not what it is, where it comes from, or why it’s pushing galaxies apart at an ever more rapid speed.

  • Watching the Wind

    Updated: 2012-12-04 19:46:25
    Ever since discovering Richard Long‘s work back in the 80′s, I’ve been incredibly drawn to land art of various forms.  Most work of this type tends to be fairly static, but I recently ran across some pieces that I found mesmerizing, in their capturing and visualizing wind.  (Strictly, these don’t meet the definition of “land [...]

  • Complex simulations: a driving force for LSST

    Updated: 2012-12-04 00:00:00
    Almost a decade remains before the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope sees first light, and construction has yet to begin on most of the telescope’s hardware. Even so, astrophysicists are already developing methods for analyzing the rush of data LSST will produce. In a survey this large and this advanced, data management is just as important as cameras and mirrors.

  • Crystals show promise as particle pilots in LHC

    Updated: 2012-12-03 18:47:06
    A new system that would use bent crystals to remove errant particles in the Large Hadron Collider passed a major test last month by surviving a barrage of protons at high energy.

  • Colbert Redux

    Updated: 2012-11-30 20:15:17
    We are still in shakedown mode here at Discover Blogs, although hopefully things are mostly working well. One change is that from now on people will have to register to leave comments. Maybe that’s for the best? Let’s see how it goes, at any rate. Last night I had the privilege of once again appearing [...]

  • Physics education program QuarkNet develops global reach

    Updated: 2012-11-30 18:00:00
    When Virginia high school teacher Deborah Roudebush teaches physics, she doesn't exactly follow the book. In one of her more memorable lessons, she gives her students a stopwatch and a ruler and sets a toy pig flying around the classroom. The students must use their tools to determine the speed of the pig in two different ways. "There's no set value for pig speed," Roudebush says. "I'm teaching them to develop methods and test those methods. That's how scientists do it."

  • Record-Setting X-ray Jet Discovered

    Updated: 2012-11-28 05:00:00
    A jet of X-rays from a supermassive black hole 12.4 billion light years from Earth has been detected by NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory. This is the most distant X-ray jet ever observed.

  • Stellar black widows entrap companion stars

    Updated: 2012-11-28 00:00:00
    In its four years in orbit, the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has found a cosmos teeming with points of gamma-ray light. Newly discovered gamma-ray sources run the gamut from the expected, like supernova remnants and active galactic nuclei, to the surprising, like gamma rays from the sun or Earth-bound lightning strikes.

  • X-rays from a Reborn Planetary Nebula

    Updated: 2012-11-15 05:00:00
    These images of the planetary nebula Abell 30, (a.k.a. A30), show one of the clearest views ever obtained of a special phase of evolution for these objects.

Previous Months Items

Dec 2012 | Nov 2012 | Oct 2012 | Sep 2012 | Aug 2012 | Jul 2012