Sandy Black has combined her love of maths and art in a career as a knitwear designer.
The year 2009 was International Year of Astronomy, and to celebrate, we've been asking you what you'd most like to know about your Universe in a series of online polls. The project, kindly supported by the Royal Astronomical Society, came up with seven questions, which we put to world-leading astronomers and cosmologists. On this page you can find their answers in seven articles, as well as some podcasts, and you can see the questions we posed in our polls.
In our last online poll to find out what Plus readers would most like to know about the Universe you told us that you'd like to find out how long a day is. We took the question to the physicist Nicholas Mee and here is his answer — and it's not 24 hours!
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 3:14 PM
1 comments
In our online poll to find out what Plus readers would most like to know about the Universe you told us that you'd like to find out if time travel is allowed. We took the question to Kip Thorne, Feynmann Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, at the California Institute of Technology, and here is his answer.
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 11:05 AM
3 comments
This poll is now closed. The most popular question was: "How long is a day?" We will publish the answer in an article on Plus shortly. Thank you for taking part!
This is the last online poll in our series to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Choose your favourite question from the list on the right, and we'll put the one that proves most popular to world-leading astronomers and cosmologists. The poll will remain open for a month and the answer will be published in a Plus article and possibly a podcast soon after.
The winning questions in our previous polls have been
The answer to the last question will be published on Plus shortly.
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 4:10 PM
0 comments
As part of our celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 we brought you the article How does gravity work?, in which Bangalore Sathyaprakash takes us from Newton's theory of gravitation to Einstein's general theory of relativity. Now hear Sathyaprakash explain gravity in his own words in this podcast.
If this has whetted your appetite for astronomy, then why not take part in our current online poll to nominate the next question we'll put to the experts.
posted by Plus @ 10:29 AM
0 comments
In our fourth online poll to find out what Plus readers would most like to know about the Universe you told us that you'd like to find out how gravity works. We took the question to Professor Bangalore Sathyaprakash of the School of Physics and Astronomy at Cardiff University, and here is his answer. This interview is also available as a podcast.
If you'd like to put another Universe question to experts, vote in the current poll, or leave a comment on this blog.
Labels: IYA2009, Latest news
posted by Plus @ 9:55 AM
2 comments
This poll is now closed. The most popular question was: "Is time travel allowed?" We will publish the answer in an article on Plus shortly. Thank you for taking part!
This is the fifth online poll in our series to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Choose your favourite question from the list on the right, and we'll put the one that proves most popular to world-leading astronomers and cosmologists, including Astronomer Royal Martin Rees and author and cosmologist John D. Barrow. The poll will remain open for a month and the answer will be published in a Plus article and podcast soon after. If your most burning question is not on this list, then leave a comment on this blog and we'll endeavour to include it in a future poll.
The winning questions in our previous polls have been
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 10:03 AM
5 comments
In our third online poll to find out what Plus readers would most like to know about the Universe, you told us that you'd like to learn about the secrets of dark matter and dark energy. We took the second part of the question — what is dark matter? — to John D. Barrow, renowned cosmologist and Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge. Here is his answer. (The first part of the question has been answered in Plus by Martin Rees.)
Labels: IYA2009, Latest news
posted by Plus @ 3:44 PM
2 comments
In our third online poll to find out what Plus readers would most like to know about the Universe, you told us that you'd like to learn about the secrets of dark matter and dark energy. We took the first part of the question — what is dark matter? — to Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal and Professor of Cosmology and Astrophysics at the University of Cambridge. Here is his answer.
Labels: IYA2009, Latest news
posted by Plus @ 9:26 AM
4 comments
As part of our celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 we brought you the article Are the constants of nature really constant?, in which John D. Barrow tells us how it all depends on which constants you choose. In the podcast of this interview you can hear how changes in the constants that define our Universe might have implications for extra dimensions, gravity, and climbing flies...
If this has whetted your appetite for astronomy, then why not take part in our online poll to nominate the next question we'll put to the experts.
posted by Plus @ 2:21 PM
0 comments
This poll is now closed. The most popular question was: "How does gravity work?" You can read the answer on Plus, or listen to the podcast. Thank you for taking part and don't forget to vote in the current poll!
This is the fourth online poll in our series to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Choose your favourite question from the list on the right, and we'll put the one that proves most popular to world-leading astronomers and cosmologists, including Astronomer Royal Martin Rees and author and cosmologist John D. Barrow. The poll will remain open for a month and the answer will be published in a Plus article and podcast soon after. If your most burning question is not on this list, then leave a comment on this blog and we'll endeavour to include it in a future poll — there will be three more polls dotted throughout the year.
The most popular questions in the first two polls were What happened before the Big Bang? and Are the constants of nature really constant?. Read the answers by clicking on the links, and discuss them on our blog. The third poll came up with the question "What are dark energy and dark matter?" and we will publish the answer on Plus shortly.
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 1:22 PM
1 comments
This poll is now closed. The most popular question was: "What are dark energy and dark matter?" We will publish the answer in an article and podcast on Plus shortly. Thank you for taking part!
This is our third online poll in our series to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Choose your favourite question from the list on the right, and we'll put the one that proves most popular to world-leading astronomers and cosmologists, including Astronomer Royal Martin Rees and author and cosmologist John D. Barrow. The poll will remain open for a month and the answer will be published in a Plus article and podcast soon after. If your most burning question is not on this list, then leave a comment on this blog and we'll endeavour to include it in a future poll — there will be four more polls dotted throughout the year.
The most popular questions in polls far were was What happened before the Big Bang? and Are the constants of nature really constant?. Read the answers by clicking on the links, and discuss them on our blog.
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 3:33 PM
1 comments
In our second online poll to find out what Plus readers would most like to know about the Universe, you told us that you'd like to know if the constants of nature really are constant. We took the question to cosmologist John D. Barrow, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and here is his answer. Please feel free to discuss the answer by leaving a comment on this blog. We'll periodically check back with the experts to try and answer interesting further questions.
This article is part of a series to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009. The third poll to find out what you'd like to know most about the Universe is open now, so get voting!
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 1:15 PM
6 comments
As part of our celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 we brought you the article What happened before the Big Bang?, in which John D. Barrow tells us all about the bubbly multiverse we apparantly live in. Here is the podcast of this interview, so you can listen to these strange ideas with your own ears.
If this has whetted your appetite for astronomy, then why not take part in our online poll to nominate the next question we'll put to the experts.
posted by Plus @ 8:51 AM
5 comments
This poll is now closed. The most popular question was: "Are the constants of nature really constant?" We will publish the answer in an article and podcast on Plus shortly. Thank you for taking part!
This is our second online poll in our series to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009. Choose your favourite question from the list on the right, and we'll put the one that proves most popular to world-leading astronomers and cosmologists, including Astronomer Royal Martin Rees and author and cosmologist John D. Barrow. The poll will remain open for a month and the answer will be published in a Plus article and podcast soon after. If your most burning question is not on this list, then leave a comment on this blog and we'll endeavour to include it in a future poll — there will be five more polls dotted throughout the year.
The most popular question in our first poll was "What happened before the Big Bang?". You can now read the mind-boggling answer here on Plus, and discuss it on our blog.
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 12:10 PM
7 comments
In our online poll to find out what Plus readers would most like to know about the Universe, you told us that you'd like to find out what happened before the Big Bang. We took the question to the renowned cosmologist John D. Barrow, Professor of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge, and here is his answer. The Universe is an infinitely self-perpetuating foam of bubbles, it seems...
Read more and feel free to discuss the answer by leaving a comment on this blog. We'll periodically check back with the experts to try and answer interesting further questions.
This article is part of a series to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009. The second poll to find out what you'd like to know most about the Universe is open now, so get voting!
Labels: IYA2009, Latest news
posted by Plus @ 11:00 AM
5 comments
It's official! The question that Plus readers would most like to have answered about the Universe is "What happened before the Big Bang?" In the first of seven online polls to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the Big Bang question picked up 48% of your vote, followed by the questions "What is the future of the Universe?" with 14% and "When will we be able to live in space?" with 11%. Thanks to all of those who voted, and especially those who left the many intelligent comments.
We'll now try and find an answer to this question with the help of expert cosmologists and astronomers, and we'll publish our efforts in the middle of March. At the same time we will launch our second Universe poll, which will take into account the questions you posed in your comments. So keep an eye on our blog, or subscribe to our newsletter to receive regular email updates.
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 3:43 PM
0 comments
This poll is now closed. The most popular question was "What happened before the Big Bang?". We will publish an article and a podcast with an answer in the middle of March. At the same time we will launch our next Universe poll, so watch this space.
Do you ever look at the night sky and wonder where it all comes from, where it is going and what we are doing right in the middle of it? Do you wonder if there's life out there, or why the sky isn't bright with all the stars that are in it?
If yes, then now's your chance to put your questions to world-leading astronomers and cosmologists, including Astronomer Royal Martin Rees and author and cosmologist John D Barrow. From now until the end of the year Plus will hold regular online polls to find out what your most burning questions are, and do our best to find an answer with the help of experts in the field. You'll be able to read and hear what they have to say in Plus articles and podcasts, and there'll be plenty of room for discussion on our blog.
Our first online poll — one of a total of seven — opens today. It will remain open for a month and we'll publish the answer to the question that proves most popular in the middle of March. This is your chance to get involved with the most fascinating science of them all (except for maths of course), and it's our contribution to the International Year of Astronomy 2009. So get voting now, and if your question isn't on the list above, send it to us in a comment on this blog, and we'll include it in the next poll. Happy voting!
Labels: IYA2009
posted by Plus @ 3:47 PM
23 comments
