May 24, 2022
UC Berkeley astronomers used AI to find unsuspected connections hidden in the complex mathematics arising from general relativity — in particular, how that theory is applied to finding new planets around other stars.
Artist’s concept of a sun-like star (left) and a rocky planet about 60% larger than Earth in orbit in the star’s habitable zone. Gravitational microlensing has the ability to detect such planetary systems and determine the masses and orbital distances, even though the planet itself is too dim to be seen. (Image credit: NASA Ames/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle)