Christopher C. Lovell

The Universe is vast, and figuring out how galaxies and dark matter are distributed within it is no easy task. Usually, scientists run computer simulations that "play out" the evolution of entire regions of space billions of light-years across. But such calculations demand colossal resources and time.

Right after the Big Bang, the Universe was a chemical desert — only hydrogen and helium, not a hint of metals. But moments passed (by cosmic standards), and the birth of the first stars — Population III — began.