A quantum miracle enabled the formation of neutral atoms

The Universe first formed stable, neutral atoms just 380,000 years after the Big Bang.

If not for the miracle of quantum physics, it would've taken more than twice as long.

JWST breaks its own record with new most distant galaxy MoM-z14

There's a new cosmic record-holder in town, coming to us from when the Universe was only 282 million years old: 2.0% of its current age.

Here's what we found, and why it matters so much.

Claims that “the Universe will end sooner than expected” are false

Did you hear that all objects emit Hawking radiation, and everything, even the Universe, will therefore decay?

It's a fun idea, but was proven impossible way back in 1975!

10 space pictures whose appearances will deceive you

Not every "spiral" is a galaxy; not every spherical collection of stars is a globular cluster; not every pair of overlapping galaxies are interacting.

Appearances can be deceiving, even in space.

Has the USA become a fascist nation in 2025?

#AskEthan

Across all generally-recognized fascist nations, there are 14 official early warning signs of fascism to look for.

How does the USA fare, when held to that standard, in 2025?

The red color of Mars is mere inches deep

Mars is the red planet: its surface and atmosphere are both red, as we've directly observed.

But that redness is only skin-deep: mere millimeters in places.

Here's why.

Does physics truly have anything to say about consciousness?

From neuroscientists to philosophers to physicists to doctors, many ideas are out there surrounding consciousness.

Sadly, the chasm between what we known and what we don't is tremendous.

Astronomers just found the smallest galaxy ever

With just a mere 16 solar masses worth of stars, galaxy Ursa Major III/UNIONS 1 is by far the smallest galaxy ever discovered.

But is it truly a galaxy, or just a collection of stars?

11 NASA astrophysics missions face risk of cancellation

NASA's astrophysics division has brought us Hubble, Chandra, Spitzer, JWST, and so much more.

These 11 missions, on the way to fruition, now face the risk of cancellation.

Starts With A Bang podcast #117 – Gravitational waves and the Universe

Just 10 years ago, we had never seen a gravitational waves.

Today, in 2025, there are around 300 events directly detected.

Here's how we got here, plus where we're going next!

Could dark energy be more negative than a cosmological constant?

#AskEthan

Dark energy is a cosmological constant, right?

Maybe not.

There are good reasons to think "w" can't be less than -1.

But does the Universe even care?

The Universe is not symmetric

Ideas like supersymmetry, grand unification, supergravity, and string theory all add additional symmetries, with intriguing consequences.

The big problem?

Our Universe isn't symmetric at all.

What to know about vaccines in the do-your-own-research era

Without a science-based national mandate from the CDC, it's difficult to know what's the best path to take.

Here are the scientific truths about vaccines that everyone should know.

The most “boring” part of cosmic history shaped our modern Universe

In the hot Big Bang, nucleosynthesis finishes after mere minutes, but neutral atoms don't form for 380,000 years.

That "boring" in-between period gave our Universe its modern shape.

JWST’s most ambitious view is now available to everyone

The largest, deepest JWST mosaic of the Universe ever taken, the COSMOS-Web field, is now complete and available to all.

Get the full 166 Megapixel view, and see what's inside for yourself.

Is dark energy just leftover momentum from the Big Bang?

#AskEthan

Right at the start of the Big Bang, everything was expanding away from each other.

That expansion is still happening today.

Could this explain what dark energy is?

The 6 strongest materials on Earth are harder than diamonds

Diamonds have long been lauded as the hardest, strongest material of all.

But here in modern times, we know of six others that surpass them.

Can you guess the strongest of all?