6 September 2014 sky & telescopeRobert Naeye
SpectrumHed.GillSans.
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Night Sky, SkyWeek, and ESSCO.Editor in Chiefannounced this March that it had
found a specifi c polarization pattern in the cosmic microwave background
(CMB) that was predicted by infl ation, I felt a surge of elation. Finally, after
all these years, the idea that the early universe experienced an exponential
growth spurt seemed confi rmed, and I felt satisfaction in science’s ability
to predict yet another phenomenon before it was discovered.
But in the back of my mind, I knew that the BICEP2 result was
by no means a done deal. As I told friends and family the day of the
announcement, I wouldn’t fully buy into it until other teams observed the
same signal. And I felt a tinge of suspicion that the signal turned out to be
easier to detect than many cosmologists expected. When Alan MacRobert
wrote his July issue cover story, he made sure to include the caveat “.. .if
the other teams now racing to confi rm the fi nd succeed.. .”
As of this writing in early June, the BICEP2 detection has been called
into question. As Camille Carlisle explains on page 12, it’s possible that
foreground dust is primarily responsible for the polarization pattern
attributed to infl ation. It’s too early to say if the BICEP2 result will stand,
but if not, it will be yet another example of the self-correcting nature of
science. The general public might not perceive it that way, but this is an
attribute of science. How many other intellectual disciplines have such a
clearly established methodology for purging themselves of wrongful ideas?
A retraction would be a deep disappointment for infl ation advocates,
but the theory itself would remain on solid ground. It’s still consistent
with all other astronomical observations, such as the statistical pattern of
temperature variations in the CMB, and the theory itself is well-motivated.
It’s quite possible that the polarization signal from infl ation is weak and
extremely diffi cult to distinguish from all the foreground sources.
On a diff erent note, I want to tell you about
our terrifi c new e-book titled Summer Deep Sky
Observing Projects. Alan MacRobert assembled
15 of our best articles from recent years about
deep-sky observing. This convenient e-book
gives you many dozens of telescopic targets,
telling you how to fi nd them and what you
can expect to see. If you’re planning to take
your telescope outside on clear summer eve-
nings, check it out at http://www.shopatsky.com/
summerskyobserving. ✦When the bicep 2 team
Infl ation & Our
Deep-Sky E-book
o
O
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