with Ethan Siegel • July 5, 2025
Greetings readers,
It's the 4th of July weekend, signifying that the year is already more than half over. People like me in the good ol' USA typically celebrate the day we declared our independence from Great Britain a full 249 years ago. But this year, the celebratory tone isn't quite the same as previous years due to an extinction-level event happening right now in the United States for science, scientific research, and science education. In my own field, astrophysics, the summer meeting of the American Astronomical Society was the most anxiety-filled event I've ever been to: even worse than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. What should have been a celebration of glorious new results was instead largely a mix of support group therapy among afflicted scientists and a funeral for the "greatness" of American science. It's going to take an awful lot to put us back on the right track, and the rest of the world stands to benefit from what we're currently destroying.
That said, there's still plenty of wonder and awe out there in the Universe for us to explore and understand. One of the great advances in science during the JWST era is a superior understanding of what is happening with those bright, early galaxies that JWST is observing. While some claimed that "these galaxies broke the Universe," they instead revealed it, teaching us how stars and galaxies grew up together, including in some surprising ways that defied our initial expectations. We also have a unique opportunity coming up: a launch window to send a deep space mission to both Uranus and Neptune, giving us the chance to explore the final two worlds in our Solar System up close with orbiters and probes, which is something we've never done before.
Even when you get a dark night sky, what you're seeing is remarkably deceptive. Take a look at the 5 ways our naked-eye views of the night sky can deceive us. Finally, for our Ask Ethan, several of our readers have written in to ask about a remarkable but dubious claim that has recently been circulating in science news: Could the CMB, traditionally taken as the leftover glow of the Big Bang, not be of cosmic origin after all? It sounds wild, but the great thing about it is that we can analyze the claim on its scientific merits and draw actual, factual conclusions about whether it's plausible or not.
Regardless of where you are or how this year has been treating you, please remember that we're all in the same ocean, even if we're in different boats. In all the Universe, we still only have one another to be kind to and share this journey with, and I'm so pleased you've chosen to share a little bit of yours with me!
All the best,
Ethan
THE BRAIN DRAIN
American science to soon face its largest brain drain in history
Throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, the U.S. became a world leader in science, technology, healthcare, and education by investing in scientific research. However, due to recent unprecedented federal cuts and defunding of institutions, American science is experiencing an extinction-level event. That said, this disaster for American science may be a gift to the rest of the world. Here’s an insider’s view into what’s happening.
JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE
JWST’s early galaxies didn’t break the Universe. They revealed it.
Initially, the abundance of bright, early galaxies shocked astronomers. After just 3 years of JWST, we now know what’s really going on. In a groundbreaking study by the CEERS (Cosmic Evolution Early Release Science Survey) collaboration, these early galaxies show a surprising culprit: the creation and distribution of dust. Here’s how.
ASK ETHAN
Ask Ethan: Could the CMB arise from galaxies, not the Big Bang?
Since its discovery in the mid-1960s, the cosmic microwave background has long been treated as the surefire signature of the Big Bang, cementing it as the mainstream theory of cosmic origins. However, JWST has found many more bright, early galaxies than were expected, and they emit lots and lots of energetic light. Perhaps that energy, after encountering dust, is re-radiated and responsible for the radiation we see? Let’s explore.
If you have a burning question about the Universe,
email startswithabang@gmail.com!
GALACTIC GAZE
5 ways our naked-eye views of the night sky deceive us
Looking at a dark night sky has filled humans with a sense of awe and wonder since prehistoric times. But when we gaze up at that familiar night sky, even with the naked eye, much of what we think we’re looking at is quite deceptive. Here’s what lies beyond the optical limits of our eyes.
LAUNCH WINDOW
A unique mission to both Uranus and Neptune could launch in 2034
Once every 12 years, Earth, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune align, with the next alignment happening in 2034. In the 21st century, we’ve only visited Uranus and Neptune once: when Voyager 2 flew by them in the 1980s. This upcoming window is the perfect chance for humanity to launch a joint mission to these celestial bodies up close. Will we jump on the opportunity?
Ethan Siegel, Ph.D., is an award-winning theoretical astrophysicist who's been writing Starts With a Bang since 2008. You can follow him on Twitter @StartsWithABang.
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The talent drain is real and it's not just about money. It's about vision, values, and feeling like your genius serves something bigger than profits. We’ve seen brilliant minds walk away not because they lacked skill, but because they lacked purpose in a system that stopped listening.