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New Books in Physics and ChemistryAuthor: New Books Network
Interviews with physicists and chemists about their new books Language: en Genres: Arts, Books, Physics, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Craig Hogan, "The Unlikely Primeval Sky" (American Scientist, November-December)
Thursday, 13 November, 2025
Of all the patterns that could possibly be preserved in the post–Big Bang radiation, the one we see is surprisingly smooth on large angular scales. Sitting by a campfire on a dark night, looking up at the Milky Way, a curious child asks, “What does the sky tell us? Where does it all come from? Does space go on forever?” A caring adult might share a little awe and humility about humanity’s place in the grand scheme or perhaps relate a traditional creation story. A scientist like me, who came of age soon after the discovery that the sky is not actually dark but awash in primeval radiation, might instead relate the still-unfinished scientific story of the boundaries and origins of time and space. That tale is displayed in nature’s own record of the structure of the early universe, a mosaic of temperature and density fluctuations preserved in the primordial light that astronomers call the cosmic microwave background (CMB). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
