Ethan Siegel

Ethan Siegel

Theoretical astrophysicist and science writer

Ethan Siegel Starts with a Bang!

Ethan Siegel is a Ph.D. astrophysicist and author of "Starts with a Bang!" He is a science communicator, who professes physics and astronomy at various colleges. He has won numerous awards for science writing since 2008 for his blog, including the award for best science blog by the Institute of Physics. His two books "Treknology: The Science of Star Trek from Tricorders to Warp Drive" and "Beyond the Galaxy: How humanity looked beyond our Milky Way and discovered the entire Universe" are available for purchase at Amazon. Follow him on Twitter @startswithabang.

Earth move
The Solar System isn't a vortex, but rather the sum of all our great cosmic motions. Here's how we move through space.
Some stars burn through their fuel as expected, and die of natural causes. But others, instead, get murdered. Here's their story.
Breakthrough Starshot
With advanced laser technology and an appropriate sail, we could accelerate objects to ~20% the speed of light. But would they survive?
Standard Model
Particle physics needs a new collider to supersede the Large Hadron Collider. Muons, not electrons or protons, might hold the key.
Friedmann equation
From before the Big Bang to the present day, the Universe goes through many eras. Dark energy heralds the final one.
primordial black holes
Known as primordial black holes, they could thoroughly change our Universe's history. But the evidence is strongly against them.
launch James Webb
For many, it was just a successful launch like any other. But for scientists around the globe, it was a victory few dared to imagine.
earth axis move throughout year axial tilt
Even with leap years and long-term planning, our calendar won't be good forever. Here's why, and how to fix it.
multiverse a fortunate universe
A wild, compelling idea without a direct, practical test, the Multiverse is highly controversial. But its supporting pillars sure are stable.
Developing an awareness of and an appreciation for science is what we all truly need, not what we've been doing.
hot big bang
We know it couldn't have began from a singularity. So how small could it have been at the absolute minimum?
lab leak SARS-CoV-2
We don't know with 100% certainty where SARS-CoV-2 first came from or how it first infected humans. But not all options are equally likely.
James Webb Space Telescope
With launch, deployment, calibration, and science operations about to commence, here are 10 facts that are absolutely true.
photometry
The photometric filters for the Vera Rubin Observatory are complete and showcase why they are indispensable for astronomy.
first contact
Life arose on Earth very early on. After a few billion years, here we are: intelligent and technologically advanced. Where's everyone else?
Parker Solar Probe
How can you "touch the Sun" if you've always been inside the solar corona, yet will never reach the Sun's photosphere?
James Webb Space Telescope
From exoplanets to supermassive black holes to the first stars and galaxies, Webb will show us the Universe as we've never seen it before.
expanding universe
After more than two decades of precision measurements, we've now reached the "gold standard" for how the pieces don't fit.
James Webb Space Telescope
After decades of development, whether NASA's Webb succeeds or fails all comes down to five critical milestones that are only days away.
warp drive
The same (former) NASA engineer who previously claimed to violate Newton's laws is now claiming to have made a warp bubble. He didn't.