Science Photo Library/Alamy
RECENTLY, I used to be giving a tour of the University of New Hampshire’s division of physics and astronomy to a visitor who isn’t a scientist. Among the many questions he requested was: “How does this stuff show up in the real world?” The type of stuff I do, I defined, is usually simply understanding issues for the sake of our big-picture understanding of the universe and our place in it.
Later, I realised I had made a mistake in not giving a sensible instance primarily based on the class I’m instructing, an introduction to stellar astrophysics. The matter can appear as …