Marcus Chown
Marcus Chown is an award-winning writer and broadcaster and a former radio astronomer at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He is the author of Breakthrough: Spectacular stories of scientific discovery from the Higgs particle to black holes (Faber & Faber, 2021).
Recent articles by Marcus Chown
This is what would happen if you fell into a black hole
If you fell into a black hole, could you survive? What would happen, and what would you see?
Antimatter explained
Why is there more matter than antimatter in the Universe?
No, NASA didn't waste millions developing a pen for space while the Russians used a pencil. Here's what really happened
Do pens work in space? And did NASA really spend millions on a space pen when a pencil would have done?
Expansion of the Universe
What do we really know about the expansion of the Universe?
What the speed of light is and why it's so important to our understanding of the Universe
Who first measured the speed of light, and why is it so important?
Could a spinning spacecraft generate artificial gravity?
We've seen it happen in science fiction, but could artificial gravity actually be generated for future space travellers?
Why does light have no mass? And why can nothing travel at the speed of light?
Why is it nothing can travel at the speed of light, but light itself can?
5 things you always wanted to know about the Big Bang theory and the birth of our Universe
Want to know more about the Big Bang? Here are some of our favourite FAQs concerning the beginning of the Universe.
Why does it take light from galaxies so long to reach us if they used to be much closer?
Could the Universe have expanded at a speed faster than light?
CfA2 Great Wall of galaxies
A white hole is a time-reversed black hole, but could one really exist out there in the cosmos?
We've all heard of black holes. But what about white holes? Could they really exist?
Which came first: stars or galaxies?
After the Big Bang, did stars form and merge into galaxies, or did the first galaxies develop along with the first stars?
The early Universe expanded faster than light
According to Einstein, no matter can travel faster than light. So how did the early Universe expand at a rate faster than light?
9 mind-blowing facts about the Universe
The Universe is a mind-boggling place. Here are 9 of the most astounding space discoveries of recent times.
The main differences between Newton and Einstein gravity
Newton vs Einstein: what is the major discrepancy between their theories of gravity?
Gravity | 12 facts
It’s a force we feel the effects of every day, but it’s also the most enigmatic. Marcus Chown explores the contradictory nature of gravity.
Do wormholes actually exist?
Wormholes could provide instantaneous passage between distant points in the Universe.
Is teleportation possible?
Could human teleportation, as seen in Star Trek, ever be achieved?
Is time travel really possible?
Can we only travel forward in time, or is the reverse at least theoretically possible?
A beginner's (quick) guide to cosmology
When did cosmology begin, and what do cosmologists study?
Quasi Steady-State theory: the Big Bang alternative explained
Quasi-Steady State theory says the Universe has existed, unchanged, forever.
What is redshift in astronomy?
What is the scientific meaning of the term 'redshift', and how does it relate to the expansion of the Universe?