Space Time explores the outer reaches of space, the craziness of astrophysics, the possibilities of sci-fi, and anything else you can think of beyond Planet Earth with our astrophysicist host: Matthew O’Dowd.
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Matt O'Dowd spends his time studying the universe, especially really far-away things like quasars, super-massive black holes, and evolving galaxies. He uses telescopes in space to do it. Matt completed his Ph.D. at NASA's Space Telescope Science Institute, followed by work at the University of Melbourne and Columbia University. He's now a professor at the City University of New York's Lehman College and an Associate at the American Museum of Natural History's Hayden Planetarium.
Previous host Gabe Perez-Giz is an astrophysicist who studies black hole physics. He received his Ph.D. from Columbia University and also hosted PBS Infinite Series.
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Gravitational Wave Background Discovered?
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 21:10
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE↓ More info below ↓Uploaded 17-02-21Check Out Overview on PBS Terra: https://youtu.be/Pgj95EntvW0Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeIt was pretty impressive when LIGO detected gravitational waves from colliding black holes. Well we’ve just taken that to the next level with a galaxy-spanning gravitational wave detector that may have detected a foundational element of space itself - the gravitational wave background. Walk the Arecibo Catwalk With Matt:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5j98wi_M2w&ab_channel=PBSSpaceTimeLearn More About Gravitational Waveshttps://youtu.be/gw-i_VKd6Wo#space #gravitationalwaves #discoveryCheck out the Space Time Merch Storehttps://pbsspacetime.comSign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements!https://mailchi.mp/1a6eb8f2717d/spacetimeHosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Matt O'Dowd Graphics by Leonardo Scholzer, Yago Ballarini, Pedro Osinski, Adriano Leal and Stephanie FariaGFX Visualizations: Katherine KorneiDirected by Andrew KornhaberAssistant Producer: Setare GholipourExecutive Producers: Eric Brown and Andrew KornhaberSound of Pulsarshttps://www.parkes.atnf.csiro.au/people/sar049/eternal_life/supernova/pulsars.htmlEnd Credits Music by J.R.S. Schattenberg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRl6-nb4iOnsij-vnpAjp0QSpecial Thanks to Our Patreon SupportersBig BangRick DeWittSandy WuMatthew MillerSean MaddoxBrodie RaoScott GrayAhmad JodehRadu NegulescuAlexander TamasMorgan HoughJuan BenetFabrice EapMark RosenthalDavid NicklasQuasarHank SChristina OegrenMark HeisingVinnie FalcoHypernovawilliam bryanLeo EmersonmuOn MarketingRussell PopeBen DeloL. Wayne AusbrooksNicholas NewlinMark Matthew BoskoDrew HartJason FinnАнтон КочковAlec S-LJulian TyackeJohn R. SlavikMathewDanton SpiveyDonal BotkinJohn PollockEdmund FokschanerJoseph Salomonechuck zegarJordan Youngm0nkJohn HofmannTimothy McCullochGamma Ray Burst SupportersLawrence Tholl, DVMFaraz KhanAlmog CohenAlex EdwardsNickÁdám KettingerSylvain LeducAnthony KahngMD3Endre PechDaniel JenningsCameron SampsonPratik MukherjeeGeoffrey ClarionNateAdrian PosorDarren DuncanLily kawaiiRuss CreechJeremy ReedMagistrala Хемус [Kybrit]Derek DavisEric WebsterSteven SartoreDrJYouDavid JohnstonJ. KingMichael BartonChristopher BarronJames RamseyJustin JermynMr TAndrew MannJeremiah Johnsonfieldsa eleanoryPeter MertzKevin O'ConnellRichard DeightonIsaac SuttellDevon RosenthalOliver FlanaganDawn M FinkBleys GoodsonDarryl J LyleRobert WalterBruce BIsmael MontecelAndrew RichmondSimon OliphantMirik GogriDavid HughesChristopher HartnettMark Daniel CohenBrandon LattinYannick WeynsNickolas Andrew FreemanShane CalimlimTybie FitzhughRobert IlardiAstaurusEric KieblerCraig StonahaMartin SkansMichael ConroyGraydon GossFrederic SimonTonyfaceJohn RobinsonA GKevin LeeAdrian HatchYurii KonovaliukJohn FunaiCass CostelloGeoffrey ShortBradley JenkinsKyle HoferTim StephaniLuaanAlecZeroCodyMalte UblKing ZeckendorffNick VirtueScott GossettMartin J LollarDan WarrenPatrick SuttonJohn GriffithDaniel LyonsDFaulkKevin WarneAndreas NautschBrandon labonte Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Your DNA's Codes Are (Almost Certainly) From Outer Space
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACEUploaded 31-01-18What happens when a star eats its planets? Find out on today’s Space Time Journal Club.You can further support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeGet your own Space Time tshirt at http://bit.ly/1QlzoBiTweet at us! @pbsspacetimeFacebook: facebook.com/pbsspacetimeEmail us! pbsspacetime [at] gmail [dot] comComment on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/pbsspacetimeHelp translate our videos!https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_panel?tab=2&c=UC7_gcs09iThXybpVgjHZ_7gPrevious Episode:The End of Habitable Zonehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwGeCfWc100RESOURCESStarliftinghttps://youtu.be/pzuHxL5FD5UKronos and Krios: Evidence for Accretion of a Massive, Rocky Planetary System in a Comoving Pair of Solar-Type Starshttps://arxiv.org/pdf/1709.05344.pdfhttps://arxiv.org/abs/1709.05344Korycansky, Laughlin and Adams 2000https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/41972/10509_2004_Article_282187.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=yOur story begins where every story begins. In the heart of a vast cloud of gas and dust drifting through interstellar space. It is here that stars are born. We’ve talked about this process before, so in short: essentially all stars form in these stellar nurseries, and they form in the many thousands before being ejected from their birth clusters to wander the galaxy. Our Sun wanders alone, and we have no idea where its sibling stars might be. Hosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Drew Rosen and Matt O'DowdProduced by Rusty WardGraphics by Kurt RossAssistant Editing and Sound Design by Mike Petrow and Meah Denee Barrington Made by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)Special thanks to our Patreon Big Bang, Quasar and Hypernova Supporters: Big BangCoolAsCatsDavid NicklasFaisal SaudAnton LifshitsJoey RednerQuasarTambe BarsbayMayank M. MehrotaMars YenturMark RosenthalDean FuquaJustin LloydRoman PinchukHypernovaShaun WilliamsEdmund FokschanerMax LevineMatthew O’ConnorEugene LawsonMartha HuntJoseph SalomoneChuck ZegarJordan YoungRatfeastJohn HofmannBarry HatfieldCraig PetersonThanks to our Patreon Gamma Ray Burst Supporters: Jane MyersBrandon CookJames FlowersGreg AllenDenys IvanovNick VirtueAlexey EromenkoNicholas RoseScott GossettMark DykstraMark VasilePatrick MurraySultan AlkhulaifiAlex SetoMichal-Peanut KarmiErik SteinDaniel LyonsKevin WarneJJ BagnellJ RejcAvi GoldfingerJohn PettitFlorian StiglmayrBenoit Pagé-GuitardNathan LenizJessica FraleyLoro LukicBrandon LabonteDavid CraneGreg Weiss Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: http://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACE↓ More info below ↓Uploaded 03-02-20Sign Up on Patreon to get access to the Space Time Discord! https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeSign up for the mailing list to get episode notifications and hear special announcements!https://tinyurl.com/yx9cusk5Check out the Space Time Merch Storehttps://pbsspacetime.com/If the universe goes on forever, does that mean there are infinite versions of you out there? Hosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Matt O'DowdGraphics by Leonardo Scholzer and Adriano LealPost Production: Yago Ballarini, Max Willians, Pedro OsinskiDirected by: Andrew KornhaberExecutive Producers: Eric Brown and Andrew KornhaberEnd Credits Music by J.R.S. Schattenberg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRl6-nb4iOnsij-vnpAjp0QThe cosmological equations that so beautifully describe our universe make an uncomfortable prediction: interpreting them in the most straightforward way, they tell us that the universe may be infinite. Or not; it could turn out that the universe contains enough matter and energy to close in on itself and be finite, or perhaps the simplest interpretation of the cosmological equations is TOO simple. But according to our best theoretical understanding, an infinite universe seems at least possible - and some would say likely. If so this raises an even more crazy possibility. An infinite universe may literally contain every possible thing allowable by the laws of physics - each in infinite multitude. And that includes infinite versions of you. Today I’m going to try to convince THIS version of the reality of all of the others.Big Bang SupportersAlexander TamasDavid BarnholdtDavid NicklasFabrice EapJuan BenetMorgan HoughQuasar SupportersChristina OegrenMark HeisingVinnie FalcoHypernova Supporterschuck zegarDanton SpiveyDonal BotkinEdmund FokschanerHank SJohn HofmannJohn PollockJohn R. SlavikJordan YoungJoseph SalomoneJulian TyackeJustin AshMathewMatthew O'ConnorSyed AnsarTimothy McCullochTimothy McCullochGamma Ray Burst SupportersA GAdrian HatchAdrien MolyneuxAlecZeroAndreas NautschAngela PriggeBradley JenkinsBrandon labonteCraig StonahaDan WarrenDaniel LyonsDavid BethalaDFaulkEric KieblerFrederic SimonGeoffrey ShortGraydon GossGreg SmithJohn FunaiJohn GriffithJohn RobinsonJonathan NesfederJosh ThomasKevin LeeKevin WarneKyle HoferMalte UblMichael ConroyNick VirtueNick WrightPatrick SuttonPaul RoseRobert IlardiScott GossettSean WarniahaSipke SchoorstraSteve BradshawTatiana VorovchenkoTim StephaniTonyfaceTybie FitzhughYurii KonovaliukRandall Sylvia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why Quantum Information is Never Destroyed
Thursday, October 8, 2026 • Duration 16:27
Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACEUploaded 23-05-18If you have perfect knowledge of every single particle in the universe, can you use the laws of physics to rewind all the way back to the Big Bang? Is the entire history of the universe perfectly knowable? Or has information somehow lost along the way?You can further support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeGet your own Space Time t-shirt at http://bit.ly/1QlzoBiTweet at us! @pbsspacetimeFacebook: facebook.com/pbsspacetimeEmail us! pbsspacetime [at] gmail [dot] comComment on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/pbsspacetimeHelp translate our videos!https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_...Previous Episode:Noether's Theorem and The Symmetries of Realityhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04ERSb06dOg&t=2sThe laws of physics are equations of motion. They are mathematical rules that dictate how systems evolve in time. Newton’s equations for classical mechanics, Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetism, and the Schrodinger equation for quantum mechanics. These laws can be used to predict how the universe will evolve into the future. They are deterministic; perfect knowledge of a system in the present perfectly predicts how the system will change in the next instant, and the instant after that, ad infinitum. But determinism in the forward-time direction does NOT guarantee that the same laws can perfectly predict the past. And yet this sort of deterministic symmetry - time-reversal symmetry - is essential for information itself to be conserved. Today we learn why conservation of information is such a fundamental requirement of quantum mechanics. In a future episode we’ll see how this law might be broken by black holes.Here's that fun proof that independent quantum states can't evolve into the same quantum state while preserving unitarity! Apologies for the unavoidable technical notation, but a quick college course in introductory quantum mechanics will get you up to speed in no time :-Phttp://bit.ly/2Lpm6sLHosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Graeme Gossel and Matt O'DowdGraphics by Grayson BlackmonAssistant Editing and Sound Design by Mike Petrow and Linda HuangMade by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)Special thanks to our Patreon Big Bang, Quasar and Hypernova Supporters: Big BangCoolAsCatsDavid NicklasAnton LifshitsJoey RednerFabrice EapQuasarTambe BarsbayMayank M. MehrotaMars YenturMark RosenthalDean FuquaRoman PinchukColeslawPurdieHypernovaEdmund FokschanerMatthew O’ConnorEugene LawsonBarry HatfieldMartha HuntJoseph SalomoneChuck ZegarCraig PetersonJordan YoungRatfeastJohn HofmannThanks to our Patreon Gamma Ray Burst Supporters: James HughesFabian OlesenKris FernetJane MeyersJames FlowersGreg AllenDenys IvanovNick VirtueAlexey EromenkoNicholas RoseScott GossettMark VasilePatrick MurraySultan AlkhulaifiAlex SetoMichal-Peanut KarmiErik SteinKevin WarneJJ BagnellAvi GoldfingerJohn PettitFlorian StinglmayrBenoit Pagé-GuitardNathan LenizBrandon LabonteDavid CraneGreg WeissShannan CatalanoBrandon Cook Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACEUploaded 23-08-18Thanks to Wix for supporting PBS Digital Studios. You can go to https://bit.ly/2o1DSHZ to get started on Wix Code!In 100 trillion years the era of stars will be over.We live in an unusual age – the age when the stars still shine. We should count ourselves lucky – nearly all of future history will be dark. But events will still unfold in that long, cooling darkness, and civilizations may endure. So how will the universe and its far-future denizens spend eternity?You can further support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeGet your own Space Time t-shirt at http://bit.ly/1QlzoBiTweet at us! @pbsspacetimeFacebook: facebook.com/pbsspacetimeEmail us! pbsspacetime [at] gmail [dot] comComment on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/pbsspacetimeHelp translate our videos!https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_...Previous Episode:Quantum Theory's Most Incredible Prediction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7UwigY4SjKYWhat does the future of our Universe hold? Alas Lewis and Barneshttps://youtu.be/hCXRnwpmJTcHosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Matt O'DowdGraphics by Luke MaroldiAssistant Editing and Sound Design by Mike PetrowMade by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)In 100 trillion years the last star in the universe will expand the final atoms of its hydrogen fuel and settle quietly into a dim white dwarf, before slowly fading to black over as it radiates away its remnant heat. The era of stars will be over. That 100 trillion years is 10,000 times the current age of the universe, and so the days of starlight and warmth have a way to go. But even when they are done, the universe will be young in comparison to the long, dark ages to follow. In fact our universe will spend almost all of its infinite time in darkness, slowly crawling towards maximum entropy and ultimate heat death.Special thanks to our Patreon Big Bang, Quasar and Hypernova Supporters: Big BangAnton LifshitsCoolAsCatsDavid NicklasFabrice EapQuasarDean FuquaMark RosenthalMayank M. MehrotaRoman PinchukTambe BarsbayVinnie FalcoHypernovaChuck ZegarDonal BotkinEdmund FokschanerEugene LawsonJohn HofmannJordan YoungJoseph SalomoneMatthew O’ConnorRatfeastThanks to our Patreon Gamma Ray Burst Supporters: Alexander RodriguezAlexey EromenkoBenoit Pagé-GuitardBrandon CookBrandon LabonteDaniel LyonsDavid CraneDeborah WhittakerFabian OlesenGreg AllenGreg WeissIan AnoanJames FlowersJames HughesJJ BagnellJon FolksKevin WarneMalte UblMark VasileNicholas RoseNick VirtueScott GossettShannan Catalanoسلطان الخليفي Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why String Theory is Right
Wednesday, October 7, 2026 • Duration 19:32
You can learn more about The Great Courses Plus here: http://ow.ly/3qDN30hIvdbUploaded 07-11-18Viewers like you help make PBS (Thank you 😃) . Support your local PBS Member Station here: https://to.pbs.org/DonateSPACESome see string theory as the one great hope for a theory of everything – that it will unite quantum mechanics and gravity and so unify all of physics into one glorious theory.You can further support us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/pbsspacetimeGet your own Space Time t-shirt at http://bit.ly/1QlzoBiTweet at us! @pbsspacetimeFacebook: facebook.com/pbsspacetimeEmail us! pbsspacetime [at] gmail [dot] comComment on Reddit: http://www.reddit.com/r/pbsspacetimeMake Sure To Check Out The Great Courses Plus"The Great Courses Plus is currently available to watch through a web browser to almost anyone in the world and optimized for the US, UK, and Australian markets. The Great Courses Plus is currently working to both optimize the product globally and accept credit card payments globally."Help translate our videos!https://www.youtube.com/timedtext_cs_...Previous Episode:Are Virtual Particles A New Layer of Reality?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztFovwCaOikHosted by Matt O'DowdWritten by Matt O'DowdGraphics by Luke MaroldiAssistant Editing and Sound Design by Mike PetrowMade by Kornhaber Brown (www.kornhaberbrown.com)Why has string theory been the obsession of a generation of theoretical physicists? What exactly is so compelling about tiny, vibrating strings? In our last string theory episode I talked about what these things really are, and covered some history. In short: the strings of string theory are literal strands and loops that vibrate with standing waves. Simply by changing the vibrational mode you get different particles – analogous to how different vibrational modes on guitar strings gives different notes. And, by the way, strings exist in 6 compact spatial dimensions on top of the familiar 3.Special thanks to our Patreon Big Bang, Quasar and Hypernova Supporters: Big BangDavid NicklasCoolAsCatsAnton LifshitsFabrice EapJustin LloydJuan BenetQuasarTambe BarsbayMark RosenthalDean FuquaJames FlowersVinnie FalcoHypernovaChuck ZegarJordan YoungJoseph SalomoneJohn HofmannMartha HuntMatthew O’ConnorRatfeastBrent MullinsDonal BotkinEdmund FokschanerMax LevineThanks to our Patreon Gamma Ray Burst Supporters: Alexander RodriguezAlexey EromenkoBrandon CookBrandon LabonteDaniel LyonsDavid CraneFabian OlesenFauzan ArdhanaGreg AllenGreg WeissJack FroschJames HughesJJ BagnellJon FolksJoseph EmisonJosh ThomasKevin WarneMalte UblMark VasileNathan LenizNicholas RoseNick VirtueScott GossettShannan CatalanoShawn AzmanTommy Mogensenسلطان الخليفي Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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