Has Jupiter been leading science astray?
In 1998 astronomers had a bit of a shock when it was revealed that our universe was not behaving as it ought. They had believed that since the Big Bang hurled our universe into existence, its expansion must, inevitably, have been gradually slowing down. It came as no small surprise then when it was revealed that its expansion was actually accelerating and that we seem to be missing some 96 per cent of its matter.
To explain this curiosity, cosmologists summoned up a mysterious, invisible and undetectable force, called ‘dark energy’, and a barely detectable, invisible material called ‘dark matter’ (see next page). And everyone lived happily ever after (except for those who disagreed and thought it was all just imaginary bunkum). Until now.
(excuse me Sir, my brain is full!)
It might seem counterintuitive, but the best way to see an object hiding in the most distant recesses of the cosmos is to make sure that you have a nice big galaxy nearby that completely blocks your view. 
As power sources go, nuclear fusion is the oldest and most efficient, and can boast a track record that is second to none. It has helped nurture life on Earth and neither we, the food we eat or air we breathe could exist without it. Nuclear fusion, not to be confused with nuclear fission (used in present nuclear power stations), is the process by which the Sun, and other stars, transforms hydrogen into helium to release the colossal amount of energy that keeps them burning away.
Nuclear fusion – How HiPER will use lasers to create a 'star on Earth' to power the planet