* Astronomy

BESS (the Balloon-borne Experiment with a Superconducting Spectrometer) is a joint project of Japanese and US scientists to search for antimatter in the cosmic radiation, as well as measure energy and intensity of less exotic components of the cosmic radiation. The antimatter search is of great interest in that it may provide answers to questions of cosmological significance dating from the creation of the Universe:

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When scientists first proposed building an instrument to comb cosmic radiation for antimatter particles, they imagined it would fly on the International Space Station.
Instead, a prototype to demonstrate proof of concept has evolved into a science program on its own, with backing from NASA and Japan, and rides to the edge of space aboard high-flying balloons. The high-flying research could help answer big questions about how the universe began and the pervasiveness of dark matter.
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