Measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background: Origin and Evolution of the Universe

Technical innovations have enabled increasingly more detailed measurements of the temperature and polarization anisotropy of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation. One example is the 10 meter South Pole Telescope (SPT) project which, in addition to increased precision of the cosmological parameters and tests of Inflation, has allowed investigations of extensions to the standard model, such as the number and masses of the neutrinos, and the nature of dark energy.