The Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries - Season 1

Here, take a closer look at concepts that were once unexplainable but, thanks to modern physics, are now better understood. You'll focus on two such former mysteries: the existence of an invisible "aether" through which light and sound were believed to travel and the orbit of Mercury, which seemed (to earlier scientists) to violate Newton's fundamental laws of motion.

Did you know that electrons have never actually been observed by scientists to this day? Or that quarks can only be studied in pairs? Or that as you travel faster or find yourself in a higher gravity, time ticks more slowly for you? Delve into these and other mind-warping facts about the fundamentals of matter in a lecture that covers everything from particle physics to quantum tunneling.

Join Professor Tyson on a fascinating investigation of the possible origins of life in the universe. Why was Jupiter believed to be a good environment for life in the 17th century? Why is there only one single "tree of life" on Earth instead of multiple ones? Could life have come from another planet? And what exactly do we mean when we hope to find examples of life that is "intelligent"?

Turn now to some inexplicable aspects of physics and our physical world. Among the many eye-opening topics you'll learn about in this lecture are the discovery of more and more elements on the periodic table; muon neutrinos, tao particles, and the three regimes of matter; the secrets of string theory; and even the hypothetical experience of traveling through a black hole.

Shoot off into the stars for an investigation of some perplexing aspects of space that science has uncovered in the last half-century. Learn about the mysterious trajectory of the Pioneer spacecraft (known as the "Pioneer anomaly"). Explore two of the longest-standing problems in modern astrophysics: dark matter and dark energy. And even try to map out the shape of space-time itself.

Brace yourself for a fascinating trip through dimensions higher than our own. You'll discover how quantum physics and string theory have opened our eyes to the possibilities of quantum foam, the multiverse, and antimatter. Join Professor Tyson for a preview of the fate of the universe (including the collision of galaxies, the burning out of stars, and the decay of orbits into black holes).