Found: Hawking's initials written into the universe

[n2doc]

18:00 07 February 2010 by Richard Fisher and Rachel Courtland



Is Stephen Hawking a galactic graffiti artist? Hidden away in the cosmic microwave background, the afterglow of the big bang, the initials "SH" are clear to view (see picture, right). We took a closer look and spotted a donkey, a deer and a parrot.

NASA's Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe team, who have just released their most detailed map yet of the CMB, used Hawking's initials to draw attention to a serious point.

With each new round of WMAP data – the latest is based on seven years of data – apparent anomalies called "anisotropies" in the CMB have puzzled physicists. Such patterns have also been used to justify various exotic theories.

One notorious anomaly is the "axis of evil", an apparent alignment in the hot and cold regions where there should be randomness. Another is the "cold spot", a particularly large void in the CMB, which some have proposed is evidence of another universe nestling next to our own.

The WMAP team point out that if something as apparently unlikely as Hawking's initials can be found in the CMB data, then the chances of finding other apparently improbable patterns may also be quite high. "I do think there is a bit of a psychological effect," says WMAP's chief scientist Charles Bennett. "People want to find unusual things."

more:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18489-found-hawkings-initials-written-into-the-universe.html

[WillParkinson]

1. Some see things in clouds...

Others like to look a bit farther.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

2. And, look, "IT" is written right next to it.

[MUAD_DIB]

3. The turtle can't help us any more.

[fasttense]

4. And there is a donkey.

See even the universe knows the Democratic party should be in charge. Only a handful of liars calling themselves RepubliCONS are thwarting the Universe's intentions.

[izquierdista]

5. Look!

The bottom, to the right, isn't that the Virgin Mary? It's a miracle!!!!

[Laura902]

6. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

this is like the time i saw jesus on a sandwich...............ONLY BETTER! just kidding ;)

[GreenPartyVoter]

7. paredoilia/matrixing