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The discovery of dark energy: Historical reflections

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The discovery of dark energy by supernovae - culminating in Riess et al. Astron. J. 116, 1998, 1009, and Perlmutter et al. Astrophys J. 511 1999 565 - is likely to become a classic discovery story in the history of science. It exhibits at lease five features that attract the interest of historians: 1) the role of evolving techniques in making a discovery possible; 2) the existence of ambiguities in the discovery process; 3) the existence of ambiguities in discovery announcements; 4) different forms of competition and cooperation; and 5) the way discoveries can open new chapters in science. The dark-energy discovery provides dramatic examples of such features, even apart from the differing memories and judgments that may exist about the events. This article engages in a thoughtexperiment: what in this discovery story is likely to attract the interest of a science historian looking back on this discovery a hundred years from now?

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationSources and Detection of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe - Proceedings of the 8th UCLA Symposium, Dark Matter 2008
Pages87-94
Number of pages8
DOIs
StatePublished - 2009
Event8th UCLA Symposium on Sources and Detection of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe, Dark Matter 2008 - Marina Del Rey, CA, United States
Duration: Feb 20 2008Feb 22 2008

Publication series

NameAIP Conference Proceedings
Volume1166
ISSN (Print)0094-243X
ISSN (Electronic)1551-7616

Conference

Conference8th UCLA Symposium on Sources and Detection of Dark Matter and Dark Energy in the Universe, Dark Matter 2008
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityMarina Del Rey, CA
Period02/20/0802/22/08

Keywords

  • Announcements
  • Competition
  • Dark energy
  • Discovery
  • History of Science
  • Techniques

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