Search
Our mission is to answer the biggest questions of all, scientifically.
What is the Universe made of? How did it become the way it is today? Where did everything come from? What is the ultimate fate of the cosmos?
For most of human history, these questions had no clear answers. Today, they do. Starts With a Bang, written by Dr. Ethan Siegel, explores what we know about the universe and how we came to know it, bringing the latest discoveries in cosmology and astrophysics directly to you.
Read Less
with
Full Profile
Ethan Siegel is an award-winning PhD astrophysicist and the author of four books, including The Grand Cosmic Story, published by National Geographic.
Protected: Ask Ethan: Could evolving dark energy lead to a Big Crunch?
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Cosmic inflation is the state that preceded and set up the hot Big Bang. Here's what the Universe was like during that time period.
With such a vast Universe and raw ingredients that seem to be everywhere, could it really be possible that humanity is truly alone?
Space weather poses a tremendous threat to all satellites, knocking all computer systems offline. Is that a recipe for Kessler syndrome?
Dark energy is one of the biggest mysteries in all the Universe. Is there some way to avoid "having to live with it?"
From the earliest stages of the hot Big Bang (and even before) to our dark energy-dominated present, how and when did the Universe grow up?
In general relativity, white holes are just as mathematically plausible as black holes. Black holes are real; what about white holes?
The most common element in the Universe, vital for forming new stars, is hydrogen. But there's a finite amount of it; what if we run out?
The Universe is 13.8 billion years old, going back to the hot Big Bang. But was that truly the beginning, and is that truly its age?
Practically all of the matter we see and interact with is made of atoms, which are mostly empty space. Then why is reality so… solid?
Holograms preserve all of an object's 3D information, but on a 2D surface. Could the holographic Universe idea lead us to higher dimensions?
In the 20th century, many options abounded as to our cosmic origins. Today, only the Big Bang survives, thanks to this critical evidence.
No matter how good our measurement devices get, certain quantum properties always possess an inherent uncertainty. Can we figure out why?
At a fundamental level, only a few particles and forces govern all of reality. How do their combinations create human consciousness?
In all the Universe, only a few particles are eternally stable. The photon, the quantum of light, has an infinite lifetime. Or does it?
Our Universe requires dark matter in order to make sense of things, astrophysically. Could massive photons do the trick?
For some reason, when we talk about the age of stars, galaxies, and the Universe, we use "years" to measure time. Can we do better?
Is the Universe finite or infinite? Does it go on forever or loop back on itself? Here's what would happen if you traveled forever.
Life arose on Earth very early on. After a few billion years, here we are: intelligent and technologically advanced. Where's everyone else?
The first world that humans should inhabit beyond the Earth is the Moon, not Mars. Here's why terraforming our lunar neighbor is so appealing.
Many contrarians dispute that cosmic inflation occurred. The evidence says otherwise.