Ask Ethan: How empty are the depths of space?
We often talk about "the vacuum of space" as being a place where pressures and particle densities drop to zero.
But outer space is never truly empty, even in the emptiest places.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/how-empty-depths-space/
Why science has abandoned the existence of the aether
There are many working in theoretical physics who keep trying to bring back the long-discredited idea of the aether.
But physics doesn't need it at all.
A new experiment deepens the physics mystery over “big G”
Last month, a NIST team published a 10-year study to measure "big G," the gravitational constant.
It didn't settle the debate, but rather revealed what everyone should consider.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/new-experiment-physics-mystery-g/
@loke I mean, this is a counterpoint I wrote to the "science case for why Pluto isn't a planet" point I wrote last week.
I can see both sides of the issue, and I even argued both sides of the issue one after the other.
That's why I proposed a definition that separates planets out by type: major planets, dwarf planets (including moons), exoplanets (major and dwarf), and rogue planets.
That way, everyone can be upset about something.
The science case for why Pluto should become a planet (again)
The current IAU definition of planet is now 20 years old, and in that time, we've learned a whole lot more about moons and dwarf planets.
Here's why they should be planets, too.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/science-pluto-become-planet-again/
Supermassive black holes launch the most powerful cosmic jets
All across the cosmos, charged particles accelerate and get collimated into jets.
And the longest, most powerful ones all originate from supermassive black holes.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/supermassive-black-holes-launch-powerful-jets/
Ask Ethan: How can ultra-distant galaxies move so fast?
If you translate redshift into a special relativity velocity, you'll find the most distant galaxy, MoM-z14, speeds away from us at 99.2% the speed of light.
How is that possible?
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/how-galaxies-move-fast/
The science case for why Pluto still isn’t a planet
Sure, we lived in a simpler time when we had 9 planets, including Pluto.
But we've learned a whole lot since 1929, and can't in good conscience ignore it to suit our comforts.
Dark matter in the Bullet Cluster celebrates 20 years
It was our first empirical proof of dark matter, using the natural lab of the Universe.
Contrarians argue against it, but the evidence speaks louder than any ideologically-driven voice.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/dark-matter-bullet-cluster-595214/
