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PBS Space Time

How Do You Measure the Size of the Universe?

Season 1 Episode 3 | 5m 36s

The universe is HUGE. But, there is only so much of the universe we can ACTUALLY see, and if we wanted to measure that FINITE space, how would we do it? A gigantic ruler? One really long car ride? Or maybe it's something even more spectacular, something that involves not only the observable universe as it is NOW, but how it was when it was first BORN?

Aired: 02/24/15
Extras
Watch • 14:36
PBS Space Time
Why Does -1/12 Keep Appearing Everywhere In Physics?
Can adding every positive whole number really give you -1/12?
Episode: S12 E1 | 14:36
Watch • 14:20
PBS Space Time
JWST May Have Discovered a New Cosmic Object: The Black Hole Star
Gigantic black holes existed in a cosmic eyeblink after the Big Bang. That should be impossible.
Episode: S11 E35 | 14:20
Watch • 15:22
PBS Space Time
Quantum Physics’ Strangest Prediction May Have Just Come True?
It’s believed empty space can be crystalized and we may have observed this for the first time.
Episode: S11 E36 | 15:22
Watch • 16:31
PBS Space Time
We Thought All Black Holes Came From Stars. We May Have Been Wrong.
LIGO may have found an impossible black hole, hinting at primordial relics from the Big Bang.
Episode: S11 E33 | 16:31
Watch • 15:15
PBS Space Time
There's Something Massive Hiding Behind the Galaxy's Strangest Star
A decade later, a leading theory may finally explain Tabby’s Star, the galaxy’s weirdest star.
Episode: S11 E34 | 15:15
Watch • 17:40
PBS Space Time
The Universe Has Been Expanding Since the Big Bang. Just Not How We Thought.
DESI and DES studied dark energy. Together, what can they tell us?
Episode: S11 E32 | 17:40
Watch • 16:28
PBS Space Time
The Quantum Experiment That Breaks Time
Could sending a quantum twin across the galaxy make you both old and young at the same time?
Episode: S11 E31 | 16:28
Watch • 17:39
PBS Space Time
We Thought Black Holes Created Event Horizons. It Might Be the Opposite
It's possible that an event horizon is forming right behind and you won't know until its too late.
Episode: S11 E30 | 17:39
Watch • 20:48
PBS Space Time
We’ve Been Looking for Aliens for 70 Years. We've Been Doing It Wrong All Along
Are there no alien signals to find... or do we need to update how we search for them?
Episode: S11 E29 | 20:48
Watch • 14:27
PBS Space Time
We Thought Black Holes Ended in Singularities. They Might End In a Frozen Big Bang
Physicists hope Planck stars can save us from black hole singularities and paradoxes.
Episode: S11 E28 | 14:27
Latest Episodes
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  • All
  • PBS Space Time Season 12
  • PBS Space Time Season 11
  • PBS Space Time Season 10
  • PBS Space Time Season 9
  • PBS Space Time Season 8
  • PBS Space Time Season 7
  • PBS Space Time Season 6
  • PBS Space Time Season 5
  • PBS Space Time Season 4
  • PBS Space Time Season 3
  • PBS Space Time Season 2
  • PBS Space Time Season 1
Watch • 14:36
PBS Space Time
Why Does -1/12 Keep Appearing Everywhere In Physics?
Can adding every positive whole number really give you -1/12?
Episode: S12 E1 | 14:36
Watch • 14:20
PBS Space Time
JWST May Have Discovered a New Cosmic Object: The Black Hole Star
Gigantic black holes existed in a cosmic eyeblink after the Big Bang. That should be impossible.
Episode: S11 E35 | 14:20
Watch • 15:22
PBS Space Time
Quantum Physics’ Strangest Prediction May Have Just Come True?
It’s believed empty space can be crystalized and we may have observed this for the first time.
Episode: S11 E36 | 15:22
Watch • 16:31
PBS Space Time
We Thought All Black Holes Came From Stars. We May Have Been Wrong.
LIGO may have found an impossible black hole, hinting at primordial relics from the Big Bang.
Episode: S11 E33 | 16:31
Watch • 15:15
PBS Space Time
There's Something Massive Hiding Behind the Galaxy's Strangest Star
A decade later, a leading theory may finally explain Tabby’s Star, the galaxy’s weirdest star.
Episode: S11 E34 | 15:15
Watch • 17:40
PBS Space Time
The Universe Has Been Expanding Since the Big Bang. Just Not How We Thought.
DESI and DES studied dark energy. Together, what can they tell us?
Episode: S11 E32 | 17:40
Watch • 16:28
PBS Space Time
The Quantum Experiment That Breaks Time
Could sending a quantum twin across the galaxy make you both old and young at the same time?
Episode: S11 E31 | 16:28
Watch • 17:39
PBS Space Time
We Thought Black Holes Created Event Horizons. It Might Be the Opposite
It's possible that an event horizon is forming right behind and you won't know until its too late.
Episode: S11 E30 | 17:39
Watch • 20:48
PBS Space Time
We’ve Been Looking for Aliens for 70 Years. We've Been Doing It Wrong All Along
Are there no alien signals to find... or do we need to update how we search for them?
Episode: S11 E29 | 20:48
Watch • 14:27
PBS Space Time
We Thought Black Holes Ended in Singularities. They Might End In a Frozen Big Bang
Physicists hope Planck stars can save us from black hole singularities and paradoxes.
Episode: S11 E28 | 14:27