An elegant multiverse? Professor Brian Greene considers the possibilities

You might think it’s hard to have a conversation with theoretical physicist Brian Greene. His research specialty is superstring theory, the hypothesis that everything in the universe is made up of miniscule, vibrating strands of energy. Luckily for an interviewer, Greene has a knack for explaining difficult concepts to non-scientists.

Physicists investigate lower dimensions of the universe

(PhysOrg.com) -- Several speculative theories in physics involve extra dimensions beyond our well-known four (which are broken down into three dimensions of space and one of time). Some theories have suggested 5, 10, 26, or more, with the extra spatial dimensions "hiding" within our observable three dimensions. One thing that all of these extra dimensions have in common is that none has ever been experimentally detected; they are all mathematical predictions.

NASA's Hubble rules out 1 alternative to dark energy

Astronomers using NASA's Hubble Space Telescope have ruled out an alternate theory on the nature of dark energy after recalculating the expansion rate of the universe to unprecedented accuracy.

The most distant mature galaxy cluster

Astronomers have used an armada of telescopes on the ground and in space, including the Very Large Telescope at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in Chile to discover and measure the distance to the most remote mature cluster of galaxies yet found. Although this cluster is seen when the Universe was less than one quarter of its current age it looks surprisingly similar to galaxy clusters in the current Universe.

Rare observation of cosmic explosion

Astronomers have discovered a new cosmic explosion: a gamma-ray burst and its associated supernova. Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are the most powerful blasts in the Universe, and are thought to be created in the deaths of the most massive stars.

Spitzer captures infrared rays from 'Sunflower' galaxy

The various spiral arm segments of the Sunflower galaxy, also known as Messier 63, show up vividly in a new image taken in infrared light by NASA

Evidence of extraterrestrial life?

Richard B. Hoover, Ph.D. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center has discovered evidence of microfossils similar to terrestrial cyanobacteria in freshly fractured

Difficult decisions ahead on Mars

The vision of a joint US and European mission to Mars faces a radical rethink as the US admits its funding will come up $1bn short.

Local firm pushes frontiers of space tourism

Space tourism is just the beginning of space exploration. This is the word from Brad Inggs, whose Durban company Orbital Horizon, in partnership with American company Xcor Aerospace, recently began offering trips into space in a new suborbital spaceship.

Astronaut scientists for hire open new research frontier in space

Spaceship Two (credit: Virgin Galactic) At a joint press conference Monday with Virgin Galactic at the Next-Generation Suborbital Researchers Conference,

New conditions for life on other planets: tidal effects change 'habitable zone' concept

Tides can render the so-called "habitable zone" around low-mass stars uninhabitable, according to new research. Until now, the two main drivers thought to determine a planet