Astronomy
The Origin of CMB Anisotropies from Quantum Fluctuations
Quick fact
The temperature differences in the CMB are only about one part in 100,000, yet they are the direct imprint of quantum fluctuations that occurred during the first fraction of a second after the Big Bang.
Why this is interesting
Look at a map of the cosmic microwave background – it appears almost perfectly uniform, yet tiny variations are hidden. Where do these subtle patterns come from?