What's the Matter With Gravity?
Of the four fundamental forces of physics, gravity is the one you know in your bones. Gravity owns you. Try to cross a downhill street slick with ice and you slide helplessly; whatever is in control,...
View ArticleFostering the Discoveries We Can't See Coming
Scientific discovery is unpredictable. History reveals that scientists rarely anticipate the nature or the source of new breakthroughs before they happen. One might think, then, that it is impossible...
View ArticleFirst Direct Evidence of Cosmic Inflation
When Alan Guth proposed the theory of cosmic inflation almost 35 years ago, he wondered whether it would ever be possible to prove his hypothesis that the universe ballooned up exponentially in the...
View ArticleVideo: What is Gravity Made Of?
One of the most incredible physics discoveries of the century was just made. It reveals new secrets of gravity and the birth of our universe, called “inflation.” This video takes us back to the...
View ArticleWill the BICEP2 Results Hold Up?
Two months ago, astronomers announced that they had detected gravitational waves from the dawn of time, the strongest evidence yet that the universe experienced a titanic growth spurt in the first...
View ArticleThere’s More Than One Way To Hunt For Gravitational Waves
This is Part 1 of a two-part feature on the search for gravitational waves. Read Part 2 here. Physicists are poised to make the first-ever direct detection of gravitational waves. Will the detection...
View ArticleThere’s More Than One Way To Hunt For Gravitational Waves, Part 2
This is Part 2 of a two-part feature on the search for gravitational waves. Read Part 1 here. All of these techniques are exquisitely sensitive, seeking out minute changes. But gravitational waves...
View ArticleIs General Relativity Too Perfect?
This November, Einstein’s theory of general relativity will celebrate its 100th anniversary. Despite its advanced years, Einstein’s soon-to-be centenarian theory is holding up remarkably well. That’s...
View ArticleThe Unbearable Lightness of Gravity
Bang on a drum and you create a disturbance. The drum’s vibrations set off a chain reaction: molecules move, air expands and is compressed, and a sound wave is born. It is straightforward to separate...
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