Imagine a universe with no stars. A dull endless night. This is not some sci-fi nightmare. This is our future. For billions of years stars brought light to the universe. Now they’re dying out in a star apocalypse. What’s causing the die-off? And what happens when the lights go out? How the Universe Works s8e4: Death of the Last Stars
26,000 light years from Earth, shrouded in cosmic gas and dust, is a mysterious region of space – the centre of the Milky Way … the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy. How the Universe Works s8e5: Monsters of the Milky Way
The time machines of science fiction offer infinite possibilities. But could science travel ever be science fact? How the Universe Works s8e6: Secrets of Time Travel
Entropy could be a big problem for wannabe time travellers. ibid.
For centuries we’ve only had the solar system to tell us how planets form. Now, we’re discovering thousands of worlds around distant stars. How the Universe Works s8e7: How to Build a Planet
Building a planet is no easy feat. With many tricky steps along the way. ibid.
The Earth is taking us on the ride of our lives, hurtling through space in ways we never imagined. Now, we’re unlocking the secrets of our planet’s voyage. How the Universe Works s8e8: Earth’s Death Orbit
Life evolved in lockstep with Earth’s spinning motion. ibid.
Aliens. Sci-Fi movie monsters. Could science fiction ever become fact? The problem is, our universe creates massive barriers to meeting extraterrestrials. We’re searching the cosmos. How the Universe Works s8e9: Hunt for Alien Evidence
Welcome to the moon. A barren lifeless wasteland. Or so we thought. The moon was born in violence. And grew more like a planet than a moon. Could the moon have once been home to life? How the Universe Works s8e10: Moon
‘It turns out it’s shrinking. It’s shrinking while it cools.’ ibid. scientist
A dangerous asteroid is heading towards Earth. It’s the size of the Empire State building and it’s travelling at 16,000 miles an hour … It will fly close to us in 2029. It won’t hit us – this time. How the Universe Works s8e11: Asteroid Apocalypse
Our universe is at war. Entire galaxies fight to the death. Only the strongest survive. Our own galaxy also fights for survival. These battles are how galaxies live, grow and die. How the Universe Works s9e1: War of the Galaxies, Discovery 2021
Comets: messengers from the dawn of the Solar System. For the first time we sent a spacecraft to orbit and land on one. The Rosetta mission answers our most fundamental questions. How the Universe Works s9e2: Mission to a Comet
A four-billion-mile journey to Comet 67P. ibid.
Supermassive black holes. The engines that power our universe. They’re the driving force at the heart of nearly every galaxy in the cosmos. Now, a new mystery has emerged about the oldest supermassive black holes. We have clues about their formation but can we solve the mystery of this supermassive growth spurt? How the Universe Works s9e3: Birth of Monster Black Holes
There’s a violent star at the centre of our solar system. And our planet is at its mercy. The sun is a churning cauldron of nuclear reactions. How the Universe Works s9e4: Secrets of the Sun
‘What actually accelerates the wind away from the sun? … These acoustic waves transport particles with them to give them energy.’ ibid. Michelle Thaller
The universe: vast, dynamic, and explosive. But this huge cosmos with its billions of galaxies and countless stars isn’t the only one. We share our lives with another universe. We call this strange hidden kingdom the microcosmos. It guided our evolution and it keeps us alive. How the Universe Works s9e5: Aliens of the Microcosmos
We’re discovering the cosmos is full of alien planets. Exoplanets. Strange worlds outside our solar system. Exoplanets are rewriting what makes a planet a planet. How the Universe Works s9e6: Mystery of Alien Worlds
White dwarfs: small stars that pack a big punch. There are the cooling corpses of stars like our sun, but new research proves white dwarves are one of the driving forces of our universe. How the Universe Works s9e7: Curse of the White Dwarf
About 30% of white dwarves live in a binary system. ibid.
White dwarfs can explode in violent supernovas … They might also create the most magnetic and terrifying beast in the universe – a magnetar. ibid.
There’s a killer lurking in our galaxy. A star ready to explode into a supernova. Seen from Earth it would have a terrible beauty but for us it could be fatal. We’re trying to hunt it down. How the Universe Works s9e8: The Next Supernova
Our world, our solar system, our universe: none of it would exist without a ghostly particle called the Neutrino. They are our early warning system. Neutrinos trigger star-killing explosions: supernova. These tiny particles saved the infant universe from destruction. Neutrinos are the key to how the universe works. How the Universe Works s9e9: Secret Lives of Neutrinos
Neutrinos form during nuclear fusion reactions inside the core of stars. ibid.
First there was light, visible light. Then we view the universe in radio waves and X-rays. Gravitational waves: they help us roll back the clock to the dawn of time. How the Universe Works s9e10: Gravitational Waves Revealed
Gravitational waves give us vital clues about distant objects we can’t see. ibid.
We’re on a journey to the heart of the supermassive black hole – M87 Star. Our mission: to investigate one of the most mysterious places in the universe. Supermassive black holes are the engines that power the universe. How the Universe Works s9e11: Journey to a Black Hole
The Event Horizon telescope photo is the first picture ever taken of a black hole.
The cosmic web is the infrastructure that connects every corner of the universe. It’s the architect of everything. And our cosmic future depends on it. How the Universe Works s10e1: Secrets of the Cosmic Web, Discovery 2022
An invisible danger hurtles towards Earth and close to the speed of light. Cosmic rays. They pierce spaceships putting our astronauts in danger, but the source of their power is a mystery. How the Universe Works s10e2: Curse of the Cosmic Rays
The Earth is over 4.5 billion years old. Its history is shaped by disaster after disaster. These violent events could be why Earth has life. Earth has walked the line between survival and destruction. Could catastrophe and chaos be the essential ingredients for life? How the Universe Works s10e3: Dark History of Earth
Voyager: the most ambitious space mission in history. Exploring further than any man-made spacecraft has gone before. How the Universe Works s10e4: Voyager’s Ultimate Mission
Scientists believe there is a hidden substance deep in space. It keeps the cosmos running. But is that substance real? After searching for decades we still don’t understand this inexplicable substance. There’s evidence that dark matter makes up 85% of all the matter in the universe. How the Universe Works s10e5: Hunting for Dark Matter
Dark matter can also bend light itself. It’s called gravitational lensing. ibid.
There’s a mystery at the very heart of the universe: we don’t know how old the cosmos is. It’s more than just celebrating a birthday. But our quest to discover the age of the universe is starting a war. How the Universe Works s10e6
We think the universe started with a bang … Scientists have just a single fact as their starting point: the universe is expanding. ibid.
I believe we need a long-term national commitment to explore the universe. And I believe this is an essential investment in the future of our nation – and our beautiful, but environmentally challenged planet. Gene Kranz, interview Space Lifeguard 11th April 2000
We rise above Nature. Tame the frontiers of our planet. Now we harness the force of the universe, claiming powers that could destroy us. Mankind: The Story of All of Us XII, History 2012
Sulphur and mercury are the two elements of which the alchemists thought the universe was composed. Jacob Bronowski, The Ascent of Man 4/13: The Hidden Structure, BBC 1973