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Swirls In the Afterglow of the Big Bang Could Set Stage For Major Discovery

Posted by Unknown on from the secrets-of-the-universe dept.

sciencehabit writes "Scientists have spotted swirling patterns in the radiation lingering from the big bang, the so-called cosmic microwave background. The observation itself isn't Earth-shaking, as researchers know that these particular swirls or 'B-modes' originated in conventional astrophysics, but the result suggests that scientists are closing in on a much bigger prize: B-modes spawned by gravity waves that rippled through the infant universe. That observation would give them a direct peek into the cosmos' first fraction of a second and possibly shed light on how it all began."

3 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. The very small at the start became very large by Jonah+Hex · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Traceries of the strings of string theory? Swirls of other dimensions writ large? Personally I'm looking forward to finding out what these are, for some reason the way the small is now universe wide is fascinating. - HEX

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    Horror & SciFi Erotic Nudes
  2. I can't say how it began. by wbr1 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    But it will end not with a bang but with a whimper.

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:I can't say how it began. by b4dc0d3r · · Score: 3, Interesting

      You chose a quote that people who know nothing of poetry other than random quotes would quote, for the smug feeling of knowing something they think is obscure, or even arcane. And in the process contributed nothing. While out of context it may seem to be a prescient summary of the inevitable heat death of the universe, it is actually much more mundane.

      Given its popularity, would he write the same words again? No. I've only seen copypasta *from* wikipedia, not the original quote, but I have heard approximations from sources before there was an internet.

      One reason is that while the association of the H-bomb is irrelevant to it, it would today come to everyone's mind. Another is that he is not sure the world will end with either. People whose houses were bombed have told him they don't remember hearing anything

      Eliot may be less disapproving of a quote in this context, but it still hardly seems appropriate. Refresh your memory if you wish.