Ethan Siegel

Ethan Siegel

A theoretical astrophysicist and science writer, host of popular podcast “Starts with a Bang!”

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.

Composite image of spiral galaxy NGC 300. Left: wide view with area highlighted. Right: close-up of highlighted area. Bottom: magnified star field view. NASA and the Hubble Heritage Team.
The tiniest galaxies of all are the most susceptible to violence by their larger, bullying siblings. That's why we need them in isolation.
A vivid image of a bright, colorful galaxy with swirling red, blue, and white clouds of gas and dust, where galaxies collide amid distant stars in the dark, expanding universe.
The Universe is expanding, and individual, bound structures are all receding away from one another. How, then, are galaxies still colliding?
A red star is at the center, with five orbiting paths marked by yellow dots, resembling exoplanets around the nearest single star, set against a starry night backdrop that illustrates a planetary system.
Barnard's star, the closest singlet star system to ours, has long been a target for planet-hunters. We've finally confirmed it: they exist!
A group of five men in suits pose with model rockets, showcasing their commitment to fundamental research. Beside them, an illustration depicts a space station orbiting Earth and the Moon, highlighting their visionary investment in space exploration.
Back in 1970, Sister Mary Jucunda wrote NASA, decrying large investments in science. A former Nazi's legendary response is still relevant.
Text "Cosmic Origins" over a bright, colorful explosion effect with star-like patterns in the background.
Since the dawn of history, humans have pondered our ultimate cosmic origins. Now in the 21st century, science has gone beyond the Big Bang.
The words "Cosmic Origins" appear in bold against a colorful, radiant explosion resembling a galaxy or cosmic event.
22 min
"Asking the question of, where did the entire universe come from, is no longer a question for poets and theologians and philosophers. This is a question for scientists, and we have some amazing scientific answers to this question that have defied even the wildest of our expectations."
Illustration shows a supermassive black hole with a captured star and hypervelocity star, near the Large Magellanic Cloud, with double star orbits labeled. Earth is visible in the foreground.
Just 165,000 light-years away, the Large Magellanic Cloud is suspected to house a supermassive black hole. At last, evidence has arrived.