Hugh and Brian discuss research on the polarization signals in the cosmic microwave background radiation (CMBR)—the radiation left over from the cosmic creation event—that Brian conducted on the BICEP, BICEP2, POLARBEAR2, and Simons Array telescopes. They also discuss the significance of the polarization signals in establishing what kind of inflation event occurred at the tiniest fraction of a second after the universe’s beginning and the ongoing quest to gather more data on the polarization of the CMBR as a tool to learn more about the beginning and design of the universe. Brian also briefly describes his spiritual journey: a member of a Catholic church during his youth, becoming an atheist, and now a devout Jew in practice but an agnostic in belief.

Links and Resources:

• Losing the Nobel Prize: A Story of Cosmology, Ambition, and the Perils of Science’s Highest Honor