What kind of crazy physics made primordial black holes? What does that have to do with the LIGO observations of merging black holes? How can we possibly detect them?
Jun 2nd: Did the big bang make black holes?
Tag: Ask A Spaceman
May 19th: Why are we missing all the baryons?
What is the “missing baryon problem”? How do we know how many baryons there ought to be? What does the cosmic web have to do with it? What the heck is a baryon, anyway? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
May 5th: What was Newton’s big deal?
What was Newton’s genius? Why was his work so controversial? Why are his laws of motion so radical? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Apr 21st: What’s the wildest weather in the solar system?
What makes the Earth’s atmosphere so special? What makes the atmospheres of other planets so special? Why are atmospheres so special anyway? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Apr 7th: Does Planet Nine exist?
Why do we think the solar system might have another planet? Why do we think it doesn’t? How do test for something that’s too far away to see? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Mar 17th: Why is the speed of light the way it is?
Why is the speed of light so important in physics? Why does the value not matter at all? And why does it have the speed that it does? I
Mar 3rd: What Powers a Hypernova?
How can a supernova become even more powerful? Why do we have such a hard time studying them, let alone defining them? What happens when you let a giant star unleash its full potential?
Feb 18th: Is String Theory Worth It? An Armageddon of Strings
How did String Theory get started? What has made the idea so popular over the decades? Can we ever truly have a theory of quantum gravity? What is supersymmetry, the landscape, and the AdS/CFT Correspondence? What do holograms have to do with this? How many dimensions do we live in? Why does String Theory have such a hard time making predictions? How are we supposed to judge a theory that isn’t done yet? It’s a non-stop String Theory bonanza as I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Feb 4th: Is String Theory Worth It? A Correspondence from a Dear Friend
It’s a non-stop String Theory bonanza as I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Jan 21st: Is String Theory Worth It? We Should Probably Test This
Do we need to test string theory? How are we supposed to judge a theory that isn’t done yet? It’s a non-stop String Theory bonanza as I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!