cosmology

Theoretical physicists, encouraged by recent progress in understanding black holes, are now applying the same tools to entire universes. Writing for Quanta, physicist Matt von Hippel explains how what they are finding is leading researchers to question fundamental assumptions about physics and cosmology.

The Vera Rubin Observatory's telescope has begun work in the search for dark matter, the invisible substance thought to make up most of the universe's mass. By surveying the sky in unprecedented detail, it aims to detect subtle gravitational effects that could reveal dark matter's pull. Astronomers hope the mission will transform cosmology.

The Astrophysical and Cosmological Relativity department at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam is inviting applications for several postdoctoral appointments. The positions are offered at different levels depending on experience and seniority, with contract durations ranging from two to five years. The announcement is circulating among physicists and academics, with researchers likely sharing it with potential candidates in gravitational physics and cosmology.

Scientists have produced the largest three-dimensional map of the universe, and its findings are being described as shaking cosmology to its foundations. The map charts cosmic structure on an unprecedented scale, and measurements drawn from it reportedly diverge from established models of how the universe evolves. Astronomers and science commentators are weighing whether the results point to new physics or limitations in current theories.

The University of Minnesota hosted a Van Vleck Lecture exploring how humanity came to exist, framed as a question that physics rather than biology or philosophy can answer. The talk, covered by the Minnesota Daily, examines cosmology and the physical origins of matter and life.

A new physics study reports that decoherence — the process by which quantum systems lose coherence through interaction with their environment — suppresses quantum tunneling in a cosmological context. The finding suggests tunneling effects may be far weaker in the early universe than idealized quantum models predict, with potential implications for theories of cosmic inflation and phase transitions in the early cosmos.

The Fermi Paradox, the question of why no alien life has been detected despite the vastness of the universe, is being examined from a Christian perspective. Creationist ministry Answers in Genesis argues the Bible is silent on extraterrestrial life, suggesting Earth and humanity hold unique centrality in God's creation. The debate highlights an ongoing effort to reconcile faith with modern cosmology and the search for life beyond Earth.

Physicists say the universe's oldest light, the cosmic microwave background, may be twisted, and researchers have outlined a new way to test the idea. The proposal would look for patterns in the ancient radiation left over from the Big Bang that could reveal whether light was rotated as it traveled across the cosmos. If confirmed, a twist would point to new physics beyond the standard model of cosmology.

Scientists have spotted ancient hydrogen in the early universe, a discovery that could open a new way of studying the baffling expansion of space. The finding gives researchers a fresh observational tool for probing how the universe grew in its earliest epochs, and it is drawing attention as a potential step toward resolving tensions in measurements of cosmic expansion.

The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics honoured the work that turned cosmology into a precision science, recognising measurements of the cosmic microwave background that confirmed the Big Bang model and revealed tiny temperature fluctuations seeding galaxy formation. Commentators note the prize marked a shift for cosmology from speculative theory to data-driven, exacting measurement.

An open question is circulating among believers and sceptics: what in the universe or on Earth could only exist if a god made it, and why would it be impossible otherwise? The challenge, tagged with atheism, faith and god, invites theists to defend specific examples rather than general arguments, prompting debate over cosmology, life and morality as evidence for divine action.

Penn State is hosting a workshop focused on the quantum universe, bringing together researchers to discuss quantum physics and its role in understanding the cosmos. The event covers topics at the intersection of quantum mechanics and cosmology, drawing attention from the physics community interested in how quantum effects shaped the early universe.

A newly compiled, large dataset of supernova observations is being reported as a challenge to the prevailing theory of dark energy, the mysterious force thought to drive the accelerating expansion of the universe. The finding is drawing attention from cosmologists, as it could question a central pillar of the standard model of cosmology if the data holds up under scrutiny.