Nostr notes by StartsWithABang

Why the “smallest” giant telescope may be the world’s best ...

2026-07-08T18:33:30+02:00

Why the “smallest” giant telescope may be the world’s best

At only 25 meters across, the GMT pales in size next to the 39 meter ELT for next-gen flagship telescopes.

Yet due to some brilliant decisions, GMT science, overall, looks better.

Get on board!
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/smallest-giant-telescope-worlds-best/

Ask Ethan: Could we spot an extinction-level asteroid? The last ...

2026-07-03T19:14:49+02:00

Ask Ethan: Could we spot an extinction-level asteroid?

The last extinction-level impact happened here on Earth 65 million years ago.

If humans had been around back then, how much warning would we have had before our demise?
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/could-spot-extinction-level-asteroid/

I got contacted by a journalist to give comment on Avi Loeb's ...

2026-07-01T05:31:30+02:00

I got contacted by a journalist to give comment on Avi Loeb's appointment to lead US research into UFOs.

For better or for worse, I told the unfiltered, inconvenient truth about what it means to the best of my knowledge.

Scroll past Avi's bloviating and see if you agree:

https://www.alternet.org/trump-ufos-maga/

Gravitational wave astronomy is now a fully mature science In ...

2026-06-02T18:24:16+02:00

Gravitational wave astronomy is now a fully mature science

In 2016, LIGO announced their first gravitational wave detection.

10 years later, we've seen 390 events.

The field has now matured: a whole new way of doing astronomy.

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/gravitational-wave-astronomy-fully-mature-science/

Ask Ethan: How empty are the depths of space? We often talk about ...

2026-05-08T18:17:54+02:00

Ask Ethan: How empty are the depths of space?

We often talk about "the vacuum of space" as being a place where pressures and particle densities drop to zero.

But outer space is never truly empty, even in the emptiest places.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/how-empty-depths-space/

This viral image of Saturn isn’t real; it’s AI slop A new ...

2026-04-15T16:36:13+02:00

This viral image of Saturn isn’t real; it’s AI slop

A new image of "Saturn's North Pole" has gone viral.

Too bad it's an AI fake.

Here's what the real things look like, and how you can tell for yourself.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/viral-saturn-real-ai-slop/

No, particle physics colliders cannot ever destroy the Universe ...

2026-03-05T18:27:07+01:00

No, particle physics colliders cannot ever destroy the Universe

Every time we push the energy frontier in particle physics, laypersons fear that the world, or even the Universe, will be destroyed.

Here's why we're certain it's all safe... for now.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/particle-physics-destroy-universe/

Only these six spacecraft will ever escape the Solar System ...

2026-03-02T17:58:07+01:00

Only these six spacecraft will ever escape the Solar System

Tired: not wanting to live on this planet anymore.

Wired: already on a path to exit the Solar System.

Only these six spacecraft (yes, six) are living the dream.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/six-spacecraft-escape-solar-system/

The 5 biggest obstacles to AI data centers in space There are ...

2026-02-24T18:27:29+01:00

The 5 biggest obstacles to AI data centers in space

There are five main objections to building AI data centers in space.

Engineering challenges are one thing.

When you need to defy the laws of physics, that's where you get into trouble.

https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/5-biggest-obstacles-ai-data-centers-space/

Are you tired of shouting into the void? Would you rather shout ...

2026-02-16T18:17:39+01:00

Are you tired of shouting into the void?

Would you rather shout at the US government directly?

Here's how to submit comment to the FCC about Reflect Orbital's catastrophic "sunlight at night" satellites and SpaceX's equally catastrophic ONE MILLION LEO satellite proposal, from AAS and International Dark Sky:

https://aas.org/posts/advocacy/2026/02/how-submit-comments-satellite-applications-fcc

https://darksky.org/news/two-satellite-proposals-threaten-the-night-sky-the-window-to-act-is-now/

Carl Sagan’s 9 timeless lessons for detecting baloney It's ...

2026-02-10T17:44:41+01:00

Carl Sagan’s 9 timeless lessons for detecting baloney

It's been 30 full years since Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World came out, complete with the now-classic "baloney detection kit."

These 9 lessons from it are more important than ever here in 2026.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/carl-sagan-detecting-baloney/

Light and gravity travel at the same speed, but don’t arrive ...

2025-11-13T18:56:52+01:00

Light and gravity travel at the same speed, but don’t arrive together

Yes, light waves and gravitational waves travel at exactly the same speed.

But when cosmic events create both at the same time, they don't arrive together.

Here's why.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/light-gravitational-waves-arrive/

Our first terraforming goal should be the Moon, not Mars When we ...

2025-11-06T17:47:24+01:00

Our first terraforming goal should be the Moon, not Mars

When we speak about terraforming, Mars is usually the prime target.

But the Moon, due to its proximity, Earth-like soil, and much much more, is a far superior first target.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/terraforming-moon-mars/

The true cost of “solar power at night” with Reflect Orbital ...

2025-10-15T17:27:47+02:00

The true cost of “solar power at night” with Reflect Orbital

If you played SimCity 2000, you might've loved the idea of "beaming power from space" down to Earth.

Reflect Orbital took that idea, tech-bro'd it, and now could end "night" as we know it.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/true-cost-solar-power-night-reflect-orbital/

The “most distant explosion ever” turned out to be rocket ...

2025-09-22T12:33:21+02:00

The “most distant explosion ever” turned out to be rocket debris

In 2020, a team of astronomers saw a brilliant, temporary flash in the then-most distant galaxy, GN-z11.

Now the culprit has been identified: glinting space debris from a proton rocket.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/most-distant-explosion-lie/

Finding organics on Mars means absolutely nothing for life Yes, ...

2025-09-15T18:31:03+02:00

Finding organics on Mars means absolutely nothing for life

Yes, they found organics on Mars... again.

Yes, it's possibly a potential biosignature, but so are many other things.

On the scale for "is it life," though, this doesn't rise very high.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/organics-mars-means-for-life/

See the whole Universe at once in this unique logarithmic view If ...

2025-09-01T17:26:01+02:00

See the whole Universe at once in this unique logarithmic view

If you look at the Universe nearby, you'll miss the cosmic forest, and if you look on large-scales, you'll miss what's nearby.

But with this logarithmic view, you see it all at once.
https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/logarithmic-view-universe/