Don Lincoln

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Don Lincoln

don lincoln

Dr. Don Lincoln is a Senior Scientist at Fermilab, America’s leading particle physics laboratory, who has coauthored over 1,500 scientific papers. He was a member of the teams that discovered the top quark in 1995 and the Higgs boson in 2012.

Dr. Lincoln is also an avid popularizer of science. He has written several books for the public, most recently Einstein’s Unfinished Dream. He also writes for many online venues, such as CNN and Scientific American. He appears frequently on the Fermilab YouTube channel and has made several video courses available through The Great Courses company.

Dr. Lincoln is a recipient of the 2013 Outreach Prize from the European Physical Society and the 2017 Gemant Award from the American Institute of Physics. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

You can learn more about Dr. Lincoln on his home page, and you can follow him on Facebook. 

Everything Articles
A vibrant space image showing a star-forming region with clusters of bright stars and colorful nebulas in shades of red and green.
Hard Science
The “Big Crunch”: New dark energy data raises questions about Universe’s fate
Here's what recent DESI measurements suggest — and why it's too early to update conventional predictions about the Universe's distant future.
Don Lincoln
A digital image of a star's structure superimposed on a futuristic tunnel with neon arrow accents.
Hard Science
How particle accelerators recreate the Universe’s first moments
In the infant Universe, particle physics reigned supreme.
Don Lincoln
The letter j on a blue background.
Hard Science
Muon mystery: New measurements challenge quantum theory
Discrepancies between observations and theory regarding subatomic particles called muons may force scientists to rethink the quantum world.
Don Lincoln
A black and white image of a large circular object.
Hard Science
Measurements of rare Higgs boson decay may show cracks in physics theory
Recent measurements of CERN data seem to disagree with standard-model predictions about how the Higgs boson decays, though further analysis is needed to confirm the observations.
Don Lincoln
A tunnel is being constructed in a tunnel.
Hard Science
Inside the mile-deep mission to solve a key physics mystery
The DUNE project will beam tiny neutrinos across vast distances. But the first step involved moving a heavier material: 1 million tons of rock.
Don Lincoln
An image of a man standing in a black hole.
Hard Science
“Spaghettification”: How black holes stretch objects into oblivion
Want to avoid getting "spaghettified" by a black hole? Steer clear of the smaller ones.
Don Lincoln
An image of a purple galaxy in space.
Hard Science
Surprising discovery challenges key principle of modern cosmology 
Observations of an enormous cosmic structure, dubbed the "Big Ring," seem to violate the Copernican principle.
Don Lincoln
An image of a star nebula in space.
Hard Science
Astronomers use AI to shed light on dark energy
A new measurement offers insights on the density of the mysterious force driving the Universe's expansion.
Don Lincoln
An image of an e - ring in space.
Hard Science
What does the center of a black hole look like?
Here's why the answer may forever elude scientists.
Don Lincoln
Hard Science
How fast is gravity, exactly?
Thanks to observations of gravitational waves, scientists were able to settle a longstanding debate over the speed of gravity.
Don Lincoln
An image of a blue sphere with a black background showcasing particle physics research.
Hard Science
Physicists unveil 10-year plan for exploring the quantum Universe
U.S. particle physicists recently recommended a list of major research projects that they hope will receive federal funding.
Don Lincoln
An image of an ancient black hole
Hard Science
Ancient black hole challenges our understanding of the early Universe
The Big Bang theory is not threatened, but astrophysicists have some explaining to do.
Don Lincoln
An visualization of dark matter across the universe
Hard Science
Scientists rule out a popular alternative theory to dark matter
The paper does not prove the existence of dark matter, but it mostly eliminates a rival theory called Modified Newtonian Dynamics.
Don Lincoln
tiny particle accelerator
Hard Science
How pocket-sized particle accelerators could treat cancer
The miniaturization of particle accelerators could disrupt medical science.
Don Lincoln
A woman operating an x-ray laser machine in a factory.
Hard Science
World’s most powerful X-ray laser fires for the first time
Scientists will be able to make detailed "Claymation-like" movies of chemical reactions.
Don Lincoln
A diagram illustrating the various phases and motion of a star, with a particular focus on zero-point energy.
Hard Science
Why zero-point energy is a scam
The term "zero-point energy" has at least two meanings, one that is innocuous and one that is a great deal sexier (and scammier).
Don Lincoln
cosmic inflation big bang dark ages
Hard Science
New paper argues that the Universe began with two Big Bangs
Bang bang all over the Universe.
Don Lincoln
Nasa's nebulas and galaxies - exploring parallel universes.
Hard Science
Are parallel universes real?
What do ghosts and anomalous galaxy rotation rates have in common? Some sci-fi enthusiasts believe the answer involves "parallel universes."
Don Lincoln
An image showcasing the captivating shape of space featuring a mesmerizing red and blue nebula.
Hard Science
What is the shape of space itself?
Einstein's theory of general relativity introduced the concept of space having a shape. So, what is the shape of space?
Don Lincoln
A black and white photo of Albert Einstein demonstrating gravity force.
Hard Science
Is gravity a force? It’s complicated
Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein are locked in an eternal battle over the nature of gravity. Whose side are you on?
Don Lincoln
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