“Wanted: a few hundred thousand computers with a little spare time on their hands.” That’s the basic job qualification if you (and your personal computer) want to join Einstein@Home, a massive international project that uses donated personal computer time to crunch data for real scientists. The project has been going on for several years . This week, Einstein@Home announced it will begin to analyze data from a new source: the giant radio telescope...

Did a parent, boyfriend/girlfriend, spouse, supervisor, etc., ever say to you in an argument, “You’re not the center of the universe, you know!” Well, sorry to disappoint, but you’re not the center of the galaxy either. That honor belongs to a black hole that weighs between 4,250,000 and 4,370,000 times the Sun’s mass and lies somewhere between 26,028 and 27,169 light-years from Earth. How do I know? Because German astrophysicist Reinhard Genzel and...

Have NASA astronomers discovered the black hole in the Milky Way’s center where lost socks turn into X rays? Tune in next week to find out. Ute Kraus (Max-Planck-Institut für Gravitationsphysik) NASA has found something amazing in our galaxy. Unfortunately, it’s not saying just what it has found — until next week, when it collects enough reporters for a press conference. Or, if you want it from the horse’s mouth, here is the exciting, taunting first...