NOVA Now Universe Revealed

What secrets hide in distant galaxies? How do black holes actually work? What happened in the first moments after the Big Bang? Join physician and science communicator Alok Patel on a cosmic 5-episode journey to answer the biggest questions about our universe. This is NOVA Now Universe Revealed.

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Episodes

The Big Bang: started from inflation, now we’re here

For tens of thousands of years, humans have pondered eternal questions like “How does our world even exist?” and “Where did we come from?” Now, more than ever, scientists are finding answers within the Big Bang theory. About 13.8 billion years ago, in a fraction of a fraction of a second, the universe expanded into being. The event, astronomers believe, was less of an explosion than a transformation of energy into matter: As this so-called inflation slowed, it gave way to matter, radiation, and ...

Dec 02, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 5

Black holes: to the event horizon and beyond

Black holes: they’re dense, elusive, light-absorbing pockets of spacetime that are critical to our understanding of the universe. But black holes are difficult to peer into, so there’s a lot scientists still don’t know. This leaves some room for science fiction to take over. Tall tales of galactic adventure may pair well with popcorn, but they also blur the lines between fact and fiction. To explore what humanity knows—and what we think we know—about black holes, Dr. Alok Patel and a theoretical...

Nov 25, 2021•31 min•Season 3Ep. 4

The hitchhiker’s guide to exoplanets and alien life

If television shows and movies are any indication, we humans spend a lot of our time subconsciously preparing for UFOs carrying maleficent aliens to descend on Earth. But should we rush to create an intergalactic battle plan? In actuality, finding otherworldly life won’t be so easy (or, hopefully, so dangerous). Already, astronomers and other scientists are using a multitude of techniques to search for planets outside our solar system and any signs of life they carry. With 4,500 exoplanets ident...

Nov 18, 2021•31 min•Season 3Ep. 3

How to make a Milky Way: the ultimate galactic recipe

When our ancestors looked up into the night sky, they too saw a great, glimmering band of light splitting the darkness. In Southeast Asia, people called it “the Silver River.” In Southern Africa, “the Backbone of the Night.” And in the West, around 2,500 years ago, it earned the name “the Milky Way.” Across the globe, civilizations had theories of what the band of light was and why it was there. But only recently have humans had the tools to get the full picture. Today we know the Milky Way is o...

Nov 11, 2021•26 min•Season 3Ep. 2

Fusion: Can we recreate the renewable power of stars down on Earth?

The process that powers our sun was still a mystery about 100 years ago. Bit by bit, scientists have worked out that the fusion of hydrogen at a star’s core can generate enough power to keep it shining for billions of years. Now, armed with this knowledge, researchers around the world are trying to figure out if we can recreate that fusion process here on Earth. (And yes, trying to kickstart fusion—and then contain superheated plasmas that reach temperatures up to 100 million degrees Celsius—is ...

Nov 04, 2021•27 min•Season 3Ep. 1

This is NOVA Now Universe Revealed

This is NOVA Now Universe Revealed, hosted by Alok Patel, a physician, science communicator, and somewhat of a space nerd. In this special 5-part series, blast off with us to explore alien worlds, galaxies, stars, black holes, and the start of the universe including, the Big Bang. This podcast has been made possible by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Learn more about NOVA and subscribe to our YouTube channel....

Oct 29, 2021•3 min

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