Episodes
| Title | First Broadcast | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| In The Beginning | 20240610 | From Shakespeare to Milton, writers have long been preoccupied with the birth of the universe, but there's still so much uncertainty about how the cosmos came into being. The phrase 'the big bang' is now part of our everyday language, but the astronomer Fred Hoyle coined the expression in frustration at the idea the universe burst into being and remained adamant throughout his career that it could never have happened. So has the idea of a big bang ultimately proved unhelpful in explaining how the universe was formed? Philosopher and theoretical physicist Sean Carroll explains that not even scientists can agree what the term means, and says it's still not clear whether the big bang was even the kind of giant explosion many of us imagine. For cosmologist Carlos Frenk, Dali's melting clocks are the best way of describing a time before time existed, and he explains how art and science are intimately intertwined, while the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli relies on metaphor to explain concepts that are often mind-bending in their complexity. With contributions from fellow Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Brian Cox; physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll; astrophysicist Katie Mack; cosmologist Carlos Frenk, and theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli. Producer: Marijke Peters Robin Ince explores how writers have told the story of the big bang. Robin Ince explores ideas around the birth of the universe and wonders whether the phrase 'the big bang' has helped us understand how the cosmos came about. |
| The End | 20240624 | It might seem to be the most remote of scientific questions. How does it all end - If indeed it does end? Much has been written about the beginning that lies behind us: the creation of the universe 13.8 billion years ago; the Big Bang and all that followed. But with all we have learned so far, how accurate can our predictions of the end be? It was Renaissance astronomer Galileo who believed the “Book of nature is written in mathematical characters ? and that without these “one is wandering in a dark labyrinth ? But equations of physics can run both forward as well as back. And pictures have begun to emerge of the far-future evolution of the universe .But in conveying any scenarios as to how the universe might end, how careful do scientists and writers have to be to avoid bringing on any cosmological vertigo to the minds of inhabitants on planet earth? Robin Ince examines how the great science communicators past and present have helped woo us towards concepts of the universe's destiny that we would have previously found quite improbable. With contributions from Robin's fellow Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Brian Cox, Katie Mack author of The End of Everything; Paul Sutter author of Your Place in the Universe; physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll; art critic Louisa Buck; writer and producer John Lloyd; astronomer Adam Riess; astrophysicist Mike Turner Producer: Adrian Washbourne Robin Ince on Writing the End of the Universe - if indeed it does end Robin Ince explores how great science communicators past and present have helped woo us towards ideas of the universe's destiny |
| The Fabric Of The Universe | 20240617 | When we think of the fabric of the universe we might imagine vast expanses of nothing, but one phenomenon that has captured the imagination of both scientists and fiction writers is the black hole. These giant gaps in the fabric of spacetime can span billions of miles, but we now know there is one at the centre of every galaxy. Robin Ince talks to cosmologists about how they attempt to convey their almost unbelievable size, at the same time as staying true to the maths that explains them. He learns that Einstein first conceived of a black hole in 1915, but didn't believe anyone would ever prove their existence, even after the German physicist Karl Schwarzschild confirmed their existence. For the physicist and writer Janna Levin black holes are almost magical and she has spent her career trying to convey their wonder to the general public, using language as a tool to draw us in. Thanks to the Nobel laureate, physicist Kip Thorne, we now have a better idea of what they may actually look like. He explains how equations form the basis of the black holes in the film Interstellar and reveals that the movie-making process also taught him more about how these vast tears in the fabric of spacetime actually work. With contributions from Robin's fellow Infinite Monkey Cage presenter Brian Cox; Janna Levin, author of 'The Black Hole Survival Guide'; astronomer Paul Murdin; physicist Kip Thorne; special effects adviser Paul Franklyn; physicist and philosopher Sean Carroll and theoretical physicist Fay Dowker. Producer: Marijke Peters Robin Ince investigates the mysteries of black holes Robin Ince discovers how black holes have captured the imagination of film makers and authors and hears how Einstein first conceived of them over a century ago |