Controlled remotely from the University of Chicago, the $19.2-million South Pole Telescope (SPT) has begun to search the southern polar heavens for shreds of evidence of dark energy. The discovery of dark energy in 1998 was completely unexpected. Understanding its nature is one of the biggest problems in physics. Scientists believe dark energy, which makes up 70 per cent of the Universe, is driving its accelerating expansion. If this expansion continues to accelerate experts say it could eventually lead to a Big Freeze as the Universe is pulled apart and becomes a vast cold expanse of dying stars and black holes - Oh dear...