Cosmic Background Explorer Gets Its Due

The lead physicists for the COBE project received the Nobel prize in physics today. Ever since the discovery of the cosmic background radiation in 1965 by Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson, which was major evidence for the Big Bang theory, astrophysicists were puzzled by the uniformity of the CBR, and how to explain galaxy formation and the basic anisotropy of the universe. Because the CBR is in the microwave range, and there only a few frequencies of microwaves that can penetrate our atmosphere, only a satellite in orbit would be able to measure the CBR with the resolution required. COBE results proved that we are an expanding universe, and that there were small "ripples" in the almost uniform background radiation. From these little pockets of density, galaxy clusters were able to form, stars were able to go supernova, planets coalesced out of the debris, and life was able to discover this part of its history. Congratulations to Smoot and Mather. From his picture, looks like Smoot has aged pretty well since the last time I saw him around the physics department.

Update: In a followup to yesterday's story, Professor Smoot was interviewed today (Oct. 4th) for his reaction to the Nobel Prize selection. He had an interesting view on the origins of the universe, one which many astrophysicists who believe in God share: "Every tribe has its story of creation. Here we are trying to make a story of creation based on scientific evidence. Sometimes science is input into religion and religion is input into science. I haven't seen a conflict up to this point." Me neither.