Big Bang

Subtle aberrations in the clockwork blinking of stars could become “the result of the century.” That’s if the distortions are produced by a network of giant filaments left over from the birth of the universe.

It was an old idea of Stephen Hawking’s: Unseen “primordial” black holes might be the hidden dark matter. A new series of studies has shown how the theory can work.

Detailed computer simulations have found that a cosmic contraction can generate features of the universe that we observe today.

A recent challenge to Stephen Hawking’s biggest idea — about how the universe might have come from nothing — has cosmologists choosing sides.

Cosmologists have predicted the existence of an oscillating signal that could distinguish between cosmic inflation and alternative theories of the universe’s birth.

Cosmologists have shown that it’s theoretically possible for a contracting universe to bounce and expand. The new work resuscitates an old idea that directly challenges the Big Bang theory of cosmic origins.

The first major results from the Dark Energy Survey signal the start of a new era of cosmology.

Daily bike rides, serendipitous interactions and long periods of solo thinking inspire this string cosmologist.

The story of the universe’s birth — and evidence for string theory — could be found in triangles and myriad other shapes in the sky.