The beginning of the universe, for beginners
AdultsHistorySpacePhysics...How did the universe begin -- and how is it expanding? CERN physicist Tom Whyntie shows how cosmologists and particle physicists explore these questions by replicating the heat, energy, and activity of the first few seconds of our universe, from right after the Big Bang.
What Color is the Universe?
AdultsPhysicsSpaceAstronomy...When you stare up at the night sky, you might think that the universe is really black, but that's just because our eyes aren't sensitive enough to see the billions and billions of multicolored stars out there. Ever wonder why certain stars are certain colors? And what color is our sun, really? If we looked at enough stars, could we figure out the average color of the universe?
Could We Stop An Asteroid? Feat. Bill Nye
AdultsScienceSportsTechnology...Could we stop an asteroid on a collision course for Earth?
How To Fly A Spaceship
AdultsSpaceTechnologyTransportation...Learn How To Fly A Spaceship To The Space Station With A Retired Astronaut!
Dark matter: The matter we can't see
AdultsPhysicsSpaceScience...The Greeks had a simple and elegant formula for the universe: just earth, fire, wind, and water. Turns out there's more to it than that -- a lot more. Visible matter (and that goes beyond the four Greek elements) comprises only 4% of the universe. CERN scientist James Gillies tells us what accounts for the remaining 96% (dark matter and dark energy) and how we might go about detecting it.
How folding paper can get you to the moon - Adrian Paenza
AdultsMathSpaceScience...Can folding a piece of paper 45 times get you to the moon? By seeing what happens when folding just one piece of paper, we see the unbelievable potential of exponential growth. This lesson will leave you wanting to grab a piece of paper to see how many times you can fold it!
The fundamentals of space-time: Part 2 - Andrew Pontzen and Tom Whyntie
AdultsMathPhysicsScience...Light always travels at a speed of 299,792,458 meters per second. But if you're in motion too, you're going to perceive it as traveling even faster -- which isn't possible! In this second installment of a three-part series on space-time, CERN scientists Andrew Pontzen and Tom Whyntie use a space-time diagram to analyze the sometimes confounding motion of light.
How many universes are there?
AdultsScienceSpacePhysics...The fact that no one knows the answer to this question is what makes it exciting. The story of physics has been one of an ever-expanding understanding of the sheer scale of reality, to the point where physicists are now postulating that there may be far more universes than just our own. Chris Anderson explores the thrilling implications of this idea.
Will Marshall: Tiny satellites show us the Earth as it changes in near-real-time
AdultsSpaceTechnologyEnvironment...Satellite imaging has revolutionized our knowledge of the Earth, with detailed images of nearly every street corner readily available online. But Planet Labs' Will Marshall says we can do better and go faster - by getting smaller. He introduces his tiny satellites - no bigger than 10 by 10 by 30 centimeters - that, when launched in a cluster, provide high-res images of the entire planet, updated daily.
Why can't we see evidence of alien life?
AdultsLifeSpaceScience...Stand by for an animated exploration of the famous Fermi Paradox. Given the vast number of planets in the universe, many much older than Earth, why haven't we yet seen obvious signs of alien life? The potential answers to this question are numerous and intriguing, alarming and hopeful.
The Science and Beauty of Auroras
AdultsScienceWorldSpace...Space might seem like an empty place, but the area surrounding Earth is constantly being bombarded by waves of charged particles released by the Sun: The solar wind. Luckily, thanks to Earth's swirling, molten core (and the magnetic field it provides), we are protected from this planet-sterilizing onslaught like an invisible force field.
Astronauts Grow a Water Bubble in Space
AdultsGadgetsPhysicsSpace...During Expedition 40 in the summer of 2014, NASA astronauts Steve Swanson and Reid Wiseman - along with European Space Agency astronaut Alexander Gerst - explored the phenomenon of water surface tension in microgravity on the International Space Station. The crew "submerged" a sealed GoPro camera into a floating ball of water the size of a softball and recorded the activity with a 3-D camera.
Preparing for #CometLanding
AdultsScienceSpaceTechnology...After a ten-year journey, Rosetta and Philae had finally reached their destination, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Rosetta spent many weeks studying the comet, sending lots of information back to Earth. But where was Philae going to land? Eventually the scientists on Earth found the best place on the comet for Philae to land. Soon it was time to make the final preparations for Philae's great adventure. Both spacecraft couldn't wait any longer. The whole world would be watching as Rosetta and Philae prepared for their biggest challenge yet.
Ambition - An Amazing Short Fusion Film Of Science Fiction With Science Fact
AdultsFilmScienceSpace...Ambition is a collaboration between Platige Image and ESA. Directed by Tomek Bagi?ski and starring Aiden Gillen and Aisling Franciosi, Ambition was shot on location in Iceland, and screened on 24 October 2014 during the British Film Institute's celebration of Sci-Fi: Days of Fear and Wonder, at the Southbank, London.