In the concluding episode of the series, Jim encounters ever larger cosmic structures to reveal the latest breakthroughs in our understanding of the universe. For example, Jim comes face to face with our galactic home, the Milky Way, a monstrous structure sculpted by the gravitational forces of dark matter. Jim finds out from pioneering researcher Adrian Fabian about the black hole at its centre, whose strange behaviour includes emitting the lowest note that can be heard in the cosmos. At an even greater scale, Jim encounters huge structures such as the Laniakea Supercluster, of which the Milky Way is only a tiny part. Then there’s the 'Giant Arc', a collection of galaxies that account for more than three per cent of the observable universe. Jim learns from its discoverer, British PhD student Alexia Lopez, that this gargantuan structure is forcing scientists to reassess their theory of how the universe evolves and may overturn some of the most fundamental principles in physics.
The tenth season of this acclaimed series. A users guide to the cosmos from the big bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons. Where did it all come from and how does it all fit together. A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered. In the first episode, new astronomical research is beginning to reveal an invisible scaffold of dark matter known as the Cosmic Web, an intergalactic network that transformed the Universe from a chaotic Big Bang into the structured beauty of the present day cosmos.
Cosmic rays capable of destroying human DNA are hurtling through outer space like subatomic bullets, causing space crews radiation damage. Cosmic rays are intergalactic alien interlopers on our Milky Way. But the source of their power is a mystery. Are they coming from other galaxies? Are they coming from things in between the galaxies? Where do cosmic rays come from? Truth is, the most powerful ones, we haven't got a clue. The race is on to solve the mystery of the fastest particles in the universe.
There's evidence that dark matter makes up 85% of all the matter in the universe. We can see dark matter holding galaxies together and ripping other structures apart, we even see it bending light. Dark matter itself has been around since the beginning of the universe. Without dark matter, we wouldn't be here. But if you can't see dark matter and if you can't touch it, does it really exist? Dark Matter is thought to be the cosmic glue that holds the universe together, yet the search for it continues to eluded scientists today.
Earth's history is marked by one cosmic disaster after another, forging the path of human evolution. Asteroid and comet collisions, flares from the Sun, mass extinctions, supernova explosions, cosmic ray bombardment. You name it, we've experienced it. It's kind of a miracle we're here at all. Now, experts explore how the Earth has teetered on the verge of destruction.
Experts explore the elusive endeavor of determining the age of the cosmos. Understanding the age of the universe is fundamental to understanding the universe at all. It's at the heart of everything. We want to know how much mass is in it, how much energy is in it, how it behaves. We have to have this number nailed down. The age of the universe enables us to not only understand where we came from, but potentially, the fate of the universe, what will happen millions and billions of years from now. The idea that the universe grew from a ball smaller than a pinhead is hard to understand, but figuring out when it happened sounds like it should be more straightforward. But it turns out, getting the age of the universe is pretty tricky.
At an even greater scale, Jim encounters huge structures such as the Laniakea Supercluster, of which the Milky Way is only a tiny part. Then there’s the 'Giant Arc', a collection of galaxies that account for more than three per cent of the observable universe. Jim learns from its discoverer, British PhD student Alexia Lopez, that this gargantuan structure is forcing scientists to reassess their theory of how the universe evolves and may overturn some of the most fundamental principles in physics.