Afterglow: Dispatches from the Birth of the Universe

Cosmology is the one field in which researchers can—literally—witness the past. The cosmic background radiation, ancient light streaming toward us since the Big Bang, provides a pristine window onto the birth and evolution of the universe. Already, the radiation has been key to confirming an early explosive expansion of space, determining the geometric shape of the universe and identifying seeds that resulted in galaxies. Now, the cosmic background radiation is poised to reveal when the first stars formed, what happened in the fraction of a second after the Big Bang, and the answers to a host of other bold questions about the cosmos. Join Nobel Laureate John Mather and other leading scientists who are leading the way.

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Original Program Date: May 31, 2012
MODERATOR: Lawrence Krauss
PARTICIPANTS: John C. Mather, Amber Miller, Lyman Page, David Spergel

Lawrence Krauss's Introduction 00:00

Robert Woodrow Wilson: Tuning in to the Big Bang 10:31

Participant introductions. 18:10

What lead you to the path of science? 20:45

Launching the COBE satellite. 32:45

Measuring temperatures 1/100,000 of three degrees. 36:50

When your wrong ... you move on. 41:34

The boomerang experiment from Antarctica. 46:54

How big is the universe? 52:43

How far back in time can we see? 58:54

Amber Miller and the EBEX project. 1:02:14

Polarization from gravity waves from the beginning of time. 1:06:16

What is the future of measuring the universe? 1:12:26

What is a microwave? Are we sure matter exists? 1:20:54