Mar 2006

Lecture 38: The First Three Minutes

What was the Universe like from the earliest phases immediately after the Big Bang to the present day? This lecture reviews the physics of matter, and follows the evolution of the expanding Universe from the first instants after the Big Bang, when all 4 forces of nature were unif ... Show More

42m 55s

Feb 2006

Lecture 37: The Whispers of Creation

Is there any evidence that the Universe was very hot and dense in the distant past as predicted by the Big Bang model of the expanding Universe? This lecture examines observational tests of the Big Bang Model. We have already covered expansion in the previous lecture. Today we lo ... Show More

42m 18s

Feb 2006

Lecture 36: The Big Bang

The Universe today is old, cold, low-density, and expanding. If we run the expansion backwards, we will eventually find a Universe where all the matter was in one place where the density and temperature are nearly infinite. We call this hot, dense initial state of the Universe th ... Show More

45m 2s

Dec 2009

Astronomy 141 Podcast Teaser

A new podcast, Astronomy 141, Life in the Universe, is available for those interested in continuing an exploration of topics in modern astronomy.

1m 2s

Sep 2007

Lecture 01: Introduction to Astronomy 161

What is Astronomy? What is Science? What is the course all about? Brief introductory remarks after going over course mechanics on the first day of Astronomy 161 for Autumn Quarter 2007. Recorded 2007 Sep 19 in 1000 McPherson Lab on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University ... Show More

13m 48s

Nov 2007

Lecture 46: Are We Alone? Life in the Universe

Are we alone in the Universe? This lecture explores the question of how we might go about finding life on planets around other stars. Rather than talking about speculative ideas, like the Drake Equation or SETI, I am instead taking the approach of posing it as a problem of what t ... Show More

41m 23s

Apr 2023

A Glimpse into the Past: 3 Billion Years After the Big Bang | Space Nuts 349

Get ready to explore a 10 billion year old mystery! A closely bound duo of energetic quasars, the hallmark of a pair of merging galaxies, have been discovered when the Universe was only 3 billion years old. What secrets do these quasars hold and why have they lasted so long? Join ... Show More

52m 38s

Jun 2009

Telescopes that Rocked Our World

This year marks the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s use of the first telescope. On this week’s show, we reflect on how telescopes have shifted our perspective on how small we are in size, space, and time. We also discuss how they help astronomers discover new and interesting aspec ... Show More

56 m

Nov 2023

Astronomical Inquiries: Unravelling the Mysteries of Space with Listener Questions | #380

In this episode as we (attempt) to answer your burning questions, you will be able to: · Explore the mind-bending mysteries of black holes and event horizons. · Discover fascinating specializations within the fields of physics and astronomy. · Uncover the constant evolution and b ... Show More

43m 9s

Lecture 39: The Fate of the Universe