Why cosmology is (probably) not behind the curve
A reanalysis of the cosmic microwave background data suggests a slightly more curved Universe than previously measured.
Zoos, Swamplands and Cosmology
Is string theory compatible with observational data? Today’s paper looks at how avoiding the swampland of unsuccessful string theories can mean violating reliable constraints on cosmological quantities.
Testing micro with macro – from quantum to the cosmos
Quantum mechanics describes the unimaginably small, whilst Cosmology explains the unfathomably big. How the Universe blew up from one to the other is a question we think we’ve understood with the theory of inflation. But just how good is our picture of quantum mechanics? Today’s authors show that we can now use cosmological results to test our quantum framework.
To the Center of The Cold Spot
Astronomers measure the randomness in the Cosmic Microwave Background radiation to determine the cause of an anomalously cold spot.
An almost perfect Universe: the Planck 2013 release (II)
In today’s astrobite, we continue our overview of the papers from the Planck 2013 release. This time, we review papers XVII and XXIII, which discuss weak gravitational lensing of the Cosmic Microwave Background, and the isotropy of the Universe at the time this background radiation was emitted.
An almost perfect Universe: the Planck 2013 release
The primordial seeds of the Universe, the Cosmic Microwave Background, have been measured by the Planck satellite with unprecedented precision. In this post, we summarize some of their results on cosmological parameters and primordial non-gaussianity.