The Universe According to Albert Einstein: Relativity
When Einstein, born 139 years ago last Wednesday, came onto the science scene, physics was in crisis. New ideas were badly needed — it was the perfect moment for a trailblazer.
March 20, 2018
Nobel Winners' Work in Physics Began With Albert Einstein
Three scientists won the prize after a 25-year-long search of the cosmos for gravitational waves — the waving of space — the one test missing for Einstein.
October 11, 2017
When 2 Black Holes Dance, Space Quivers
Just as two kids jumping on a trampoline around each other send waves rippling outwards on the fabric, black holes distort space as they orbit around each other.
October 4, 2017
Reality Is Not What We Can See
Carlo Rovelli's new book is a gem: It's full of wonderful analogies and imagery — and is a celebration of the human spirit, in "permanent doubt, the deep source of science."
February 8, 2017
Modern Cosmology Turns 100
The expansion of the universe was sealed as fact in 1965, but the seeds for this revolutionary take on the cosmos and our place in it were planted in 1917 by a daring Einstein.
January 25, 2017
The Madness of Humanity: Nuclear Weapons and M.A.D.
What would happen if the world's countries armed with nuclear weapons engaged in all-out confrontation? Marcelo considers this in the first of a series of essays on our collective future.
July 26, 2016
From Einstein's Ghost to Pluto, a Year of Remarkable Science
The year 2015 was a busy one for science, with discoveries on many fronts. Marcelo offers thoughts on a few.
January 6, 2016
The Equation That Banged the Cosmos
As Albert Einstein's Theory of General Relativity turns 100, the scientist would surely be pleased with the revolution he started, a source of wonder and inspiration for all.
December 8, 2015
The Need To Believe: Where Does It Come From?
Religious belief offers a sense of community with the unknown — with what transcends the confines of our humanity — as science aims to extend our reality.
November 17, 2015
Einstein's Universe Turns 100
Einstein's greatest lesson may be that reality is not what it seems; what we perceive as real is a distortion due to how our brains take in the world around, and within, us.
April 29, 2015
Black Holes and Our Cosmic Future
While Marcelo enjoys sci-fi speculation like most people, he also thinks there is a chance, in viewing recent films, to learn something about ourselves and our planet.
December 31, 2014
Can Scientific Belief Go Too Far?
Can scientists have too much faith, insisting that an idea is right despite contrary evidence? Marcelo says yes, which could pay off in the end — or be a colossal waste of time.
November 12, 2014
The Never-Ending Climb Of Mount Science
Marcelo says the mystery that surrounds us will always be here; there is no complete or final knowledge, and this fact gives science a unique character.
October 29, 2014
Do Black Holes Exist?
Stephen Hawking wants to do away with black holes (as we know them) so he can save the two pillars of modern physics: general relativity and quantum mechanics. At stake is our understanding of the nature of space and time, and how matter affects, and is affected by, both.
February 22, 2014