What is the fine structure constant? Where does it come from? Why is it so important? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Feb 15th: What’s So Fine About the Fine Structure Constant?
Paul M. Sutter Archive
Feb 1st: What Is Loop Quantum Gravity?
Why do we care about loop quantum gravity? Is it a viable path to uniting quantum mechanics and general relativity? What does it mean for spacetime to be discrete?
Jan 18th: Can We Get Some Love for Globular Clusters?
How are globular clusters so old? Where did they come from, and how are they linked to galaxy formation? What makes them so globular, anyway?
Jan 4th: Do We Live In a Giant Simulation?
What is the simulation hypothesis? Is it just pseudoscience? How do we grapple with its implications? Find the answer in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Dec 21st: What’s the Truth Behind ‘Oumuamua?
Where did ‘Oumuamua come from? What is it made of, and how did it end up here? Is it really an artifact of an alien civilization?
Dec 7th: What Comes After the James Webb Space Telescope?
What missions will come after the James Webb Space Telescope launches? What new discoveries await us? How long will they take to start?
Nov 16th: Where Can We Find Diamond Rain?
How do giant planets make diamond rain? Does it really, you know, rain? Where does diamond rain exist?
Nov 2nd: Will Our Universe End in a False Vacuum Decay?
What is a vacuum, and what makes a false one? What happened in the early universe to bring about our current physics? Will it happen again? If so, when?
Oct 19th: What the Heck are Gamma Ray Bursts?
What are the different kinds of gamma ray bursts? What powers them? What do we still have to understand about them? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Oct 5th: Is There a Crisis in Cosmology?
Is there more to say about the “crisis in cosmology”? What are the fundamental disagreements? Is there any way out of this mess? Why am I talking about it again? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!