The Universe is expanding, cooling, and dark. It started with a bang, and I'm here to bring it all to you!
Starts With A Bang podcast #125 – Large-scale structure
Here at the start of 2026, the biggest puzzles in the expanding Universe are the Hubble tension and the question of whether dark energy evolves.
Two cosmologists, me and Kate Storey-Fisher, discuss.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/starts-with-a-bang-podcast-125-large-scale-structure/
Zeno’s Paradox resolved by physics, not by math alone
Zeno's paradox, in its original form, was about the impossibility of motion entirely.
It went unresolved for millennia, and only physics, not math, finally solved it.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/zenos-paradox/
Cosmic dust: “too much, too soon” no longer!
Many early galaxies, despite a dearth of heavy elements, still manage to have large amounts of dust.
Here's the solution to the "too much, too soon" problem.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/cosmic-dust-too-much-too-soon/
Astronomers are on “Cloud 9” with a new, starless gas cloud
Just 16 million light-years away is a massive cloud of gas, weighing in at around 1.4 million solar masses.
And yet, there are no stars inside at all. Here's what that means.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/cloud-9-starless-gas-cloud/
What does oxygen in JWST’s most distant galaxies really mean?
JWST found oxygen in the second most distant galaxy ever spotted.
That's not a surprise, however; that's all but inevitable once you've made stars for the first time.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/oxygen-jwst-most-distant-galaxies/
Why is there no such thing as antigravity?
In our Universe, everything that we know of experiences the influence of gravity.
But if there are antiparticles, why isn't there any antigravity?
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/why-no-antigravity/
10 quantum myths that must die in the new year
Quantum mechanics is bizarre, counterintuitive, and surprising in many ways.
But not in every way that most people think. That's why, to start 2026, these 10 myths have got to go.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/10-quantum-myths/
Why scientists can’t stop searching for alien life
No, we haven't yet discovered any good evidence for life beyond Earth, despite the breathless assertions of many.
But we mustn't stop looking, and this is why.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/science-search-alien-life/
Prove Einstein’s relativity for yourself for under $100
Einstein's relativity has been misunderstood by more people than almost any correct physical theory ever.
Here's how you can prove it for yourself, DIY-style, for cheap.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/prove-einsteins-relativity/
The trick to identifying JWST images in an instant
Have you ever seen an image of space and wondered, "is this really from the JWST?"
If so, this one cool visual sign is a dead giveaway, and once you see it, you'll always know.
Why does something exist instead of nothing?
We all know that the fact that the Universe exists has made a lot of people angry since the dawn of people.
But how did our Universe come to have "something" instead of nothing?
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/something-instead-of-nothing/
Does our physical reality exist in an objective manner?
With quantum mechanics, we can keep the idea that an objective reality exists, Independent of observers, but there's a whole lot we have to give up if we do.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/reality-objective-exist/
Why ice skating is a miracle of physics
Most animals slip on the ice, but put a pair of skates on, and you can control your motion on the ice like it's child's play.
The unusual physics of ice is at fault.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/ice-skating-miracle-physics/
The simplest explanation for ultra-high-energy cosmic rays
The highest-energy cosmic rays are too high in energy.... for bare protons.
But if they're actually heavier ions instead, the simplest explanation is just plain iron-ic.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/simplest-explanation-ultra-high-energy-cosmic-rays/
How recently have we understood the Universe?
The Universe has been around for 13.8 billion years.
But it's really only over the most recent millennia, centuries, and decades that humanity has understood it at all.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/how-recently-understood-universe
Can stars form within the expanding Universe?
The Universe, since the Big Bang, expands, cools, and gets less dense.
How is it possible for gravity to form stars in such a dilute environment?
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/stars-form-within-expanding-universe/
10 solstice facts for everyone to know
"If you live at a higher latitude than the 43rd parallel, the Sun is lower during your winter solstice than it is at the opposite hemisphere’s pole."
Weird but true; come see all 10!
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/10-solstice-facts-everyone-know/
The USA’s Genesis Mission: moonshot or madness?
The USA just announced the "Genesis Mission," an AI/quantum computing platform for all 17 national laboratories.
Will it accelerate scientific discovery, or end it completely?
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/usa-genesis-mission-moonshot/
As 2025 ends, the Standard Model still hasn’t cracked
Here in 2025, many challenges have arisen to both Standard Models: particle physics and cosmology.
As the year end, there's barely a crack in either.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/standard-model-hasnt-cracked/
Brightest-ever lensed supernova reveals astronomy’s coming revolution
Astronomers found our first gravitationally lensed superluminous supernova.
With the Vera C. Rubin Observatory now operational, hundreds, maybe thousands more should be coming.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/brightest-ever-lensed-supernova/
