This week, we’re highlighting one of the most popular posts of the last 10 years! In this 2020 article, former Physics & Astronomy editor Chenoa van den Boogaard explains the science (and some of the science fiction) behind time travel. By Chenoa van den Boogaard, Physics & Astronomy editor The ability to travel through time, […]
Chenoa van den Boogaard
Astronomers have discovered a Moon-sized white dwarf more massive than the Sun
Chenoa van den Boogaard, Physics & Astronomy editor Astronomers have discovered the smallest white dwarf yet, and it is helping them to understand the lifecycle of these celestial objects. White dwarfs are what remain when low-mass stars reach the end of their life. After around 10 billion years of turning hydrogen into helium through nuclear […]
The themes of nature: Exploring repeating patterns in the natural world
Chenoa van den Boogaard, Physics & Astronomy editor The world is a bustling place, naturally chaotic and unpredictable, yet a balance is found in the regularity of nature’s cycles and patterns. The rise and fall of the sun and moon, the passing of the seasons, and the arrival of each hour in the day keep […]
Who owns the heavens? Improved satellite communications come at a price
Chenoa van den Boogaard, Physics & Astronomy editor When our ancestors looked up at the night sky, they used the patterns of twinkling light they saw as inspiration for stories that connected their communities. The newest constellation in our sky, created by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX, promises a similar story of connectivity. However, it may […]
Time travel is possible, but it’s a one-way ticket
Chenoa van den Boogaard, Physics and Astronomy editor The ability to travel through time, whether it is to fix a mistake in the past or gain insight into the future, has long been embraced by science fiction and debated by theoretical physicists. While the debate continues over whether travelling into the past is possible, physicists […]