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Right now, somewhere billions of light-years away, a star more massive than fifty of our suns is collapsing. In its final heartbeat — lasting less than a second — it will release more energy than a trillion suns shining at once. The flash will outshine its entire galaxy. But that explosion may not …

Right now, somewhere billions of light-years away, a star more massive than fifty of our suns is collapsing. In its final heartbeat — lasting less than a second — it will release more energy than a trillion suns shining at once. The flash will outshine its entire galaxy. But that explosion may not even come close to being the most powerful thing in the universe. So what does hold the ultimate crown? The answer takes us from the tiniest building blocks inside your atoms, through collapsing stars