An Agonist Universe

 Agonism (from Greek ἀγών agōn 'struggle') is a political and social theory that emphasizes the potentially positive aspects of certain forms of conflict. It accepts a permanent place for such conflict in the political sphere, but seeks to show how individuals might accept and channel this conflict positively. Agonists are especially concerned with debates about democracy, and the role that conflict plays in different conceptions of it.

Polarisation of the Cosmic Microwave Background

The polarization of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is a critical aspect of cosmology that provides insights into the early universe's structure and evolution. The CMB is linearly polarized at the 10% level due to Thomson scattering of photons off free electrons in the surface of last scattering. This linear polarization is a result of the Thomson scattering process, where CMB photons interact with free electrons, causing them to become polarized with their electric and magnetic fields aligned in a preferred direction.
There are two main types of CMB polarization: E-mode polarization, which is caused by scalar density fluctuations, and B-mode polarization, which is caused by tensor density fluctuations. E-mode polarization is observed in acoustic waves in the CMB last scattering surface, while B-mode polarization is observed in gravitational waves. The polarization patterns of the CMB can be used to test various cosmological models and theories, including the theory of cosmic inflation and the existence of primordial gravitational waves.
Precise measurements of CMB polarization anisotropies contain as much information as the CMB temperature anisotropy and promise to unlock new tests of physics and the standard cosmological model.