Wonders of the Universe, hosted by Brian Cox, premiers on BBC tonight.
Update: In the first episode, Brian Cox talks about the possible heat death of the universe. That’s the current theory, but there is also the cyclical theory of what happens with the universe – an endless sequence of big bangs and big crunches. Considering how little we still know about the universe, and especially the big unknowns around dark matter and dark energy, it’s quite possible that we’ll return to the cyclical view of the universe. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the current theory in twenty or thirty years, or perhaps sooner. At the very least, it’s a more appealing view – and one that’s reflected in ancient Indian cosmology.
For me, the main wonder of the universe is that it’s a mystery. No matter how much we know, no matter whether we know what we are or (pretend we) don’t, it’s all a mystery. The universe is a mystery to itself.