Brains Matter Episode 92 - The expanding universe

We’ve all wondered about the creation of the universe - from the big bang onwards. What next? Is the galaxy going to slow down from the big bang? Will there be multiple big bangs and big crunches? The reality of the matter is astounding. In 1994, Dr Brian Schmidt, along with some colleagues from around the world, found that the universe is far more fascinating and unexpected than we thought. Not only is the universe expanding, but it is also accelerating!

I talk to Dr Schmidt about this expansion. Topics we talk about include:

- How was this discovered?
- What could be causing the acceleration?
- How the cosmological constant relates to this
- What effects do we observe from dark energy and dark matter?
- How does this relate to zero-point energy?
- With the speeding up expansion of the universe, what will this mean to us as humans?
- What would science look like if we began our civilisation about 100 billion years into the future? Would cosmology be as we know it today?
- What is the future of cosmology research?
- Baryone acoustic oscillations
- Is there a relationship between dark energy and dark matter?

Listen to this interview

Brains Matter is a podcast out of Australia, which features stories on science, curiosities and general knowledge. It also features interviews with various experts in science and other interesting areas.

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