Astronomy & Observing News

Cosmic Inflation Signal Just Dust

The long-awaited analysis of spiraling polarization patterns called B-modes affirms that these signals, purportedly from the universe’s post-birth inflation, are probably from dust in our galaxy instead.

dust polarization emission at galactic poles

Astronomy & Observing News

Dust Makes Cosmic Inflation Signal Iffy

A new analysis of Planck data bolsters the claim that the polarization signal heralded as evidence for cosmic inflation is from dust instead.

Planck map with cosmic infrared background

Astronomy & Observing News

Big Bang Inflation Evidence Inconclusive

New analyses suggest that observations heralded as evidence for the universe’s brief growth spurt don’t conclusively show what researchers thought they did.

B-mode discovery telescope

Astronomy & Observing News

Direct Evidence of Big Bang Inflation

Researchers with an experiment based at the South Pole have discovered the long-sought "smoking gun" for inflation. The signal was hidden in polarization patterns in the cosmic microwave background and confirms physicists' audacious theory of how the Big Bang happened.