Tweet
je m'excuse pour la langue de l'article. Je vise en particulier les physiens de FA (articles assez technique).
----
Cosmology: Top 10 articles from 2008
Understanding the origin and nature of the universe has been a goal of humans since they first lifted their eyes to the night sky. In the past decade, results that should help us to answers these questions have been pouring in, as cosmology has turned from a theoretical field to an experimental science.
Since its redesign last month, New Scientist has been making the last 12 months' articles free for everyone to read. Here, in case you missed them, are our top 10 in-depth articles on cosmology
Why Einstein was wrong about relativity
Einstein built his theory of special relativity on the notion that light always travels at the same speed, no matter whether the observer is standing still or bowling along at warp speed. However, a growing group of physicists now think Einstein got it wrong.
The void: Imprint of another universe?
There is a hole in the universe: a vast void where there are far fewer stars and galaxies than elsewhere. What's it doing there? One suggestion is that it is the first evidence of another universe, a claim that would also vindicate string theory: our best hope for describing the universe at its smallest scale.
The hunt for the Un-universe
Delve deep enough into the farthest reaches of what's called quantum field theory and strange things pop out. They've been called "unparticles" and represent an entirely new type of stuff that could make dark matter instantly obsolete. If they exist, we may also be completely surrounded by them.
2008: Does time travel start here?
Once it is back up and running, the giant particle accelerator called the Large Hadron Collider should give us an idea of what went on in the first moments after the birth of the universe. It might also generate another, even bigger surprise: it may be the landing place for the world's first time travellers.
Is dark matter mystery about to be solved?
A large chunk of our universe - about 22% of it - may be about to be discovered. This stuff is called dark matter and however hard we have looked for it, we cannot find it. A new set of experiments may be about to change all that...
Dark energy may just be a cosmic illusion
A decade ago, astronomers made a discovery that has created the most troubling problem in astrophysics. They found that the universe is expanding with ever-increasing speed, a trend blamed on a hypothetical force called dark energy. The nature of dark energy is proving to be such a tough nut to crack that some researchers now wonder if it is an illusion.
Black holes may lurk in unexpected places
The notion that a black hole could lurk inside a giant star goes against everything we think we know about these monstrous objects. Yet if it is correct, it could solve one of the biggest mysteries in the cosmos.
Inflation deflated: the big bang's toughest test
In the first moments after its birth, the universe blew up like a balloon. That's according to the theory of inflation, which nicely papers over some big cracks in modern cosmological thinking. However, recent observations of remnant signals from the big bang seem to undermine the notion of inflation.
Lithium: The hole in the big bang theory
Most of the lithium on Earth is thought to have been created in the primordial fusion factory that powered up when the universe was barely a second old. There's a problem with this idea, however: the amount of lithium we can find is way off the mark. Does this mean that our ideas about the origin of the universe are wrong?
Awaiting a messenger from the multiverse
In recent years the idea has taken root that our universe is part of a much larger "multiverse". It sounds like wild speculation. Yet if the Large Hadron Collider finds a particular type of gluino, a hypothetical subatomic particle, the idea will gain added credibility. Stranger still, the gluino could appear after the LHC is turned off.
source:NewScientist
----
Cosmology: Top 10 articles from 2008
Understanding the origin and nature of the universe has been a goal of humans since they first lifted their eyes to the night sky. In the past decade, results that should help us to answers these questions have been pouring in, as cosmology has turned from a theoretical field to an experimental science.
Since its redesign last month, New Scientist has been making the last 12 months' articles free for everyone to read. Here, in case you missed them, are our top 10 in-depth articles on cosmology
Why Einstein was wrong about relativity
Einstein built his theory of special relativity on the notion that light always travels at the same speed, no matter whether the observer is standing still or bowling along at warp speed. However, a growing group of physicists now think Einstein got it wrong.
The void: Imprint of another universe?
There is a hole in the universe: a vast void where there are far fewer stars and galaxies than elsewhere. What's it doing there? One suggestion is that it is the first evidence of another universe, a claim that would also vindicate string theory: our best hope for describing the universe at its smallest scale.
The hunt for the Un-universe
Delve deep enough into the farthest reaches of what's called quantum field theory and strange things pop out. They've been called "unparticles" and represent an entirely new type of stuff that could make dark matter instantly obsolete. If they exist, we may also be completely surrounded by them.
2008: Does time travel start here?
Once it is back up and running, the giant particle accelerator called the Large Hadron Collider should give us an idea of what went on in the first moments after the birth of the universe. It might also generate another, even bigger surprise: it may be the landing place for the world's first time travellers.
Is dark matter mystery about to be solved?
A large chunk of our universe - about 22% of it - may be about to be discovered. This stuff is called dark matter and however hard we have looked for it, we cannot find it. A new set of experiments may be about to change all that...
Dark energy may just be a cosmic illusion
A decade ago, astronomers made a discovery that has created the most troubling problem in astrophysics. They found that the universe is expanding with ever-increasing speed, a trend blamed on a hypothetical force called dark energy. The nature of dark energy is proving to be such a tough nut to crack that some researchers now wonder if it is an illusion.
Black holes may lurk in unexpected places
The notion that a black hole could lurk inside a giant star goes against everything we think we know about these monstrous objects. Yet if it is correct, it could solve one of the biggest mysteries in the cosmos.
Inflation deflated: the big bang's toughest test
In the first moments after its birth, the universe blew up like a balloon. That's according to the theory of inflation, which nicely papers over some big cracks in modern cosmological thinking. However, recent observations of remnant signals from the big bang seem to undermine the notion of inflation.
Lithium: The hole in the big bang theory
Most of the lithium on Earth is thought to have been created in the primordial fusion factory that powered up when the universe was barely a second old. There's a problem with this idea, however: the amount of lithium we can find is way off the mark. Does this mean that our ideas about the origin of the universe are wrong?
Awaiting a messenger from the multiverse
In recent years the idea has taken root that our universe is part of a much larger "multiverse". It sounds like wild speculation. Yet if the Large Hadron Collider finds a particular type of gluino, a hypothetical subatomic particle, the idea will gain added credibility. Stranger still, the gluino could appear after the LHC is turned off.
source:NewScientist
) !
Commentaire