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Of Universal Bondage: The Ends of the Past

Bruce Gordon

[long_description] Could the universe have existed forever? Bruce Gordon challenges the possibility of an eternal past, revisiting the Borde–Guth–Vilenkin theorem and exploring the limits of cyclic and emergent-universe models. Drawing on thermodynamics, quantum theory, and spectral analysis, he argues that every known path to a universe without a beginning ultimately encounters a formidable obstacle.

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An Abecedary Of Scientific Serendipity

Sheldon Lee Glashow

[short_description] Nobel laureate Sheldon Lee Glashow offers an alphabetical tour of scientific serendipity, from the first aniline dye to the science of fermentation, recounting twenty-six discoveries made by happy accident.

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The Year in Review

The Editors

[short_description] As the end of the year approaches, we are pleased to mark the relaunch of Inference with a new season of essays, insights, and intellectual exchange. Inference is now accepting submissions from authors worldwide.

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On the Laser-Fusion Milestone

Daniel Jassby

[short_description] On December 5, 2022, the National Ignition Facility recorded the first energy gain in fusion history. However, the prospect of fusion energy in the near future remains distant, writes Daniel Jassby.

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Planetary Intelligence

Charles Lineweaver

[short_description] Can the idea of intelligence as a collective property be extended to a planetary scale? A recent paper explores possible trajectories for the long-term evolution of inhabited planets, including our own.

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Counting in the Dark

Partha Ghose

[short_description] Satyendra Nath Bose was a legendary figure in twentieth century physics. Partha Ghose, a former student of Bose, pays tribute to a trailblazer who helped forge a new direction in quantum mechanics.

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Agents in the Ether

David Kordahl

[short_description] In Imperial Science, Bruce Hunt details how the desire for quick communications across the British Empire, drove progress in the physical sciences towards a theory of the electromagnetic field.

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The Kilogram

Jeremy Bernstein

[short_description] Prior to 2018, the standard for the kilogram was a platinum alloy cylinder created in 1889 and stored in Paris. In this note, Jeremy Bernstein explains how the kilogram is now defined using fundamental constants.

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The Quest for Fusion Energy

Daniel Jassby

[short_description] Despite repeated claims that the prospects for commercialization have never looked brighter, the stark reality is that practical fusion-based electric power remains a very distant prospect.

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Before Before

Stanley Deser

[short_description] More than most laymen, physicists are floored by the idea of the Big Bang. They are confounded also by the structures that govern the resulting universe. They know too much not to feel mystified.

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Heart of Darkness

Subir Sarkar

[short_description] Is the standard model of cosmology wrong? Subir Sarkar argues that the discovery of dark energy, the basis of widely accepted models, was simply an accident waiting to happen.

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Underselling Hawking

Bernard Carr

[short_description] Four years after the death of Stephen Hawking, Charles Seife published a biography, Hawking Hawking. It painted him as a second-rate physicist who manipulated the media for his own fame.

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