The hottest Cosmology Substack posts right now

The universe naturally trends towards more complex systems. Even when things seem to get simpler, like cleaning a desk, the overall complexity still increases elsewhere.
Simple rules can create complex systems over time, like how stars form and lead to heavier elements. This shows how new complexity builds on what already exists.
As systems develop complexity, they do so faster. For example, it took billions of years for Earth to form, but less time for humans to develop culture and technology.

Breathing can be a way to connect more deeply with ourselves and our surroundings. When we focus on our breath, we can feel more present in our lives.
We all contain different 'worlds' within us, each representing various states of freedom and consciousness. Understanding these inner worlds can help us navigate our emotions and experiences better.
We should think about what state of mind we are in by asking, 'What world am I in?' and focus on communicating only what is truly necessary. This can help us become clearer and more intentional in our interactions.

A well-formed two-armed spiral galaxy called Alaknanda was observed at redshift z≈4, meaning we see it as it was about 12 billion years ago — only ~1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
The galaxy’s mature disk and clear spiral arms so early in cosmic history conflict with current models that predict such structures need about 3–4 billion years to form, so our theories of galaxy formation need revision or expansion.
The discovery relied on deep JWST infrared data, gravitational lensing, and advanced analysis of public datasets, highlighting how modern instruments and open data can enable unexpected breakthroughs.

A large, well-formed two-armed spiral galaxy was seen as it looked about 12 billion years ago, meaning it already existed only ~1.5 billion years after the Big Bang.
This is surprising because standard galaxy-formation theories predict such ordered spiral structures need roughly 3–4 billion years to form, so the finding challenges and may require revisions to those models.
The galaxy was identified by carefully analyzing publicly available infrared space-telescope data, illustrating how open data and modern analysis methods can reveal unexpected and important discoveries about the early universe.