Here's the entire history of the universe in one paragraph: The Big Bang creates the universe and all the matter within it, which slowly accumulates due to gravity until the birth of the first stars, which forge new chemicals and expel these into the cosmos when they die, forming the seeds for planets such as … Continue reading Big History
The Search for Liquid Water on Mars
The exploration of Mars has been going on for 50 years, from the Mars 3 and Viking 1 landers of the Soviet Union and NASA in the 1970s, to CNSA's Tianwen-1 and NASA's Perseverance rovers today. Throughout this time, the search for liquid water has been key, so much so that NASA's motto for the … Continue reading The Search for Liquid Water on Mars
Requirements for Extra-Terrestrial Life
Are we alone? Three words that make up a billion dollar question. Space agencies and organisations all over the world dedicate a lot of time, effort and money to attempting to answer this question. But what are they looking for exactly? What makes a place the 'right spot'? In short, what are the requirements for … Continue reading Requirements for Extra-Terrestrial Life
The Martian: Putting the Sci Back Into Sci-Fi
It's officially been 5 years today since Ridley Scott's The Martian came out. Thanks to the diligent research of the author Andy Weir and everyone involved in making the film, it's one of the most scientifically accurate sci-fi films out there and I think it will stand the test of time beyond when mankind manages … Continue reading The Martian: Putting the Sci Back Into Sci-Fi
The Paint Palette of the Sky: Rainbows, Blue Skies & Orange Sunsets
Pink Floyd weren’t the first to use a prism to split light into a rainbow; all the credit goes to Isaac Newton there. Newton discovered that if sunlight goes through a prism, the white light splits up into the delightful spectrum that colours the world around us: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet and everything … Continue reading The Paint Palette of the Sky: Rainbows, Blue Skies & Orange Sunsets
How To Solve Einstein’s Riddle
Einstein's Riddle is a logic grid puzzle allegedly created by Albert Einstein when he was a boy. It is said that only 2% of the population can solve it but I think we should have more faith in humanity, so let's give it a whirl. The Riddle There are five differently coloured houses in a … Continue reading How To Solve Einstein’s Riddle
Lunar Phases
If you look up at the sky on different days, you’ll see that the Moon looks different and then seems to ‘reset’ after a month – why is that? And does the Moon look the same all around the world? If you want to find out more, dig in. TL;DR The Moon is not its … Continue reading Lunar Phases






