Nobel Prize in Physics

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for 2011 to Saul Perlmutter, Brian Schmidt, and Adam Riess. Saul Perlmutter received $5 million and Brian Schmidt and Adam Riess received $2.5 million each. These Physicists were awarded for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae. Two separate teams, one leaded by Saul Perlmutter and other one by Brian Schmidt, located the most distant supernovae and observed it. Both teams reached the same conclusion which proved that the expansion of the universe is accelerating. This expansion can lead the universe to end in ice. It is believed that the acceleration is caused by some type of a dark energy which is still a mystery. Here is a link to an article if you guys want to read more into it. http://www.kva.se/en/pressroom/Press-releases-2011/The-Nobel-Prize-in-Physics-2011/

As you can see it is always interesting to see how Physics can help us figure out the answers to some of the toughest questions we have and which affects our future on the planet earth.