A neutron star's final moments may spark violent starquakes, monster shock waves, and even a fleeting, never-before-seen object called a black hole pulsar.

One of the papers, published last year, describes the simulated results of quakes on the surface of neutron stars before they are swallowed by black holes. The other paper, published at the end of March, dove into the “black hole pulsars” and monster shockwaves produced by the violence.

The Big Bang is often described as the explosive birth of the universe—a singular moment when space, time and matter sprang into existence. But what if this was not the beginning at all? What if our universe emerged from something else—something more familiar and radical at the same time?