How the Biggest Scientific Discovery of the Year Was Kept a Secret
By Adam Mann Great surprises in science don’t just happen–they’re engineered. When researchers announced earlier this week that they might have made what is essentially the scientific breakthrough of the year–echoes from the earliest fraction of a second after the Big Bang known as primordial B-mode polarizations–it seemed to come out of left field. Similarly large announcements, like the discovery of the Higgs boson, generally have followed months of speculation, rumors, and even leaks. It’s standard practice for researchers to keep tight-lipped about their results. No one wants to cavalierly mention half-finished data to a colleague and give them the … Continue reading How the Biggest Scientific Discovery of the Year Was Kept a Secret