Cover Image: August 2005 Scientific American Magazine See Inside

Is the Universe Out of Tune? [Preview]

Like the discord of key instruments in a skillful orchestra quietly playing the wrong piece, mysterious discrepancies have arisen between theory and observations of the "music" of the cosmic microwave background. Either the measurements are wrong or the universe is stranger than we thought

By Glenn D. Starkman and Dominik J. Schwarz















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Imagine a fantastically large orchestra

playing expansively for 14 billion years. At first, the strains sound harmonious. But listen more carefully: something is off key. Puzzlingly, the tuba and bass are softly playing a different song.


This article was originally published with the title Is the Universe Out of Tune?.



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