Over the years, physicists have hypothesized about much of the way of the universe. Some of these hypotheses have been correct, others not so much, but regardless, there has been a lot that has been predicted.

Now you might ask: how do you know if the physics of something is “right”? If someone hypothesizes something, especially something complex, how could you possibly prove whether it is right or wrong? The answer is frequently engineering. Unless a phenomenon is discovered or proven by testing using an apparatus that has been engineered, thus eliminating the step to actually engineer something for it, there is frequently a back-and-forth between the theory of physics and the practicality of engineering.

As an example of information that we now take as fact, the heliocentric theory (the theory that the Earth revolves around the sun rather than the other way around) was hypothesized by Nicolaus Copernicus in the 1500s and was met with a healthy dose of skepticism to say the least. In the years following this hypothesis, Galileo Galilei proved this theory with a telescope. The engineering of the telescope allowed for the confirmation of Copernicus’s theory. Looking at this hypothesis and its validation may seem trivial due to the widespread modern acceptance of the theory, but looking at an example like this gives us the formula that later discoveries will follow.

Moving on to more modern physics, there have been several of Albert Einstein’s theories that have been proven in the years following his hypotheses due to the advancement of technology and the current prowess of engineering. As an example of this, Einstein theorized the concept of relativity which is a multifaceted physical phenomenon, but for the purposes of this article I will just focus on one result of this theory. The groundbreaking discovery of the theory of relativity is that time is not necessarily as we perceive it, and the perception of time changes due to certain circumstances. One of these circumstances is that as an object approaches the speed of light, from the perspective of something motionless, that object appears to be experiencing time differently to the stationary observer.

Confused? Fair enough. The proof of this theory actually makes the theory easier to understand. Years and years after Einstein first came up with his theory of relativity it was proven with a phenomenon observed here on Earth. Muons are basic particles that have a very short lifespan. This lifespan has been measured using calculations and observations. Conveniently, muons also bombard the Earth at speeds that approach the speed of light. Given the observed lifespan of the stationary muons, even if the particles were moving at the speed of light, they would not be able to reach the ground because they would simply cease to exist as muons before they hit the ground. However, even despite this, muons have been discovered to have reached the Earth’s surface. Given our current understanding of physics, the only way that this is possible is if Einstein’s theory of relativity is correct. To the muon, it only survives for as long as physicists have measured it to survive as it is stationary. But to a stationary observer on the surface of the Earth, the muon exists for a much longer period of time. The result: time is different under different circumstances!

This long discussion about the scientific process leads us to today where we are still doing our utmost to uncover the secrets of our universe and 2018 could prove to be another milestone year, this time with a focus on black holes. Black holes are some of the most mysterious objects in the universe, and also some of the most frequently talked about. But with all the talk about black holes, we have never actually seen one. We, as humans, have only ever hypothesized the existence of black holes given the behavior of other celestial objects. But within the next year, operators of the Event Horizon Telescope could be the ones to change that by actually capturing an “image” of a black hole. This is where the engineering comes in.

To actually be able to see a black hole requires a telescope the size of the Earth which, practically, is exactly as hard as it sounds. The likelihood of humans having the ability to create a full telescope the size of Earth anytime soon is extremely low. But engineers have thought about this! Instead of using one big apparatus that most people would picture as a telescope, the Event Horizon Telescope team decided instead to link several telescopes around the world in order to image the black hole. The implications of having the ability to “see” a black hole are many and the results could be vital in proving or disproving some theories developed in the last hundred years or so. All of this is thanks to the recent advancement in engineering technologies that continues the age-old tradition in science of the intermingling of the theory of physics with the practicality of engineering.