It reminds us that science is about theories and curiosity more than about establishment and fact, which is precisely what this series is about. Our understanding of the cosmos is held together by the assumption that dark matter, a massive substance that takes up most of deep space, exists - even though we can’t see it or identify what it is. Tyson talked about the work of Fritz Zwicky and Vera Rubin - Zwicky was the first to theorize about the existence of dark matter and supernovas, and Rubin provided further evidence showing that dark matter is real, among other things.Ībby: And, side note, in case you're wondering about the eccentric take on Zwicky briefly shown on the show, this photo suggests it might be warranted.ĭanielle: It makes sense for Tyson to end on a discussion of dark matter - both because of what it is, scientifically, and what it stands for, thematically. Our pale blue dotĭanielle: Last night, the final episode of Cosmos gave us a chance to reflect on the lessons of the series, and also managed to give a little bit of a lesson on some of space’s unsolved mysteries. Neil deGrasse Tyson spoke alongside a recording of Carl Sagan throughout the last few minutes, reminding us of the differences we can make in the wide, wide universe. The series ended as it started, with a nod to individual scientific achievers but a focus on the ability of every inquisitive thinker to make a contribution, and a discussion of specific concepts and thematic ones. Last night, we watched the final episode of Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey.
Tyson concludes that human intelligence properly applied should allow our species toĪvoid such disasters and enable us to migrate beyond the Earth before the Sun's eventual transformation into a red giant.This article is from the archive of our partner. Tyson describes how elliptical galaxies, in which some of the oldest red dwarf stars exist, would offer the best chance of finding established civilizations. He notes that civilizations can be wiped out by cosmic events like supernovae, natural disasters such as the Toba disaster, or even self-destruct through war or other means, making probability estimates difficult. Tyson then explains that the development and lifespan of extraterrestrial civilizations must beĬonsidered for such detection to be realized. Tyson notes that projects have since looked for similar signals potentially emanating from other solar systems. He explains how Project Diana performed in the 1940s showed that radio waves are able to travel in space, and that all of humanity's broadcast signals continue to Tyson then moves on to consider if life on other planets could exist. Life could conceivably propagate from planet to planet in the same manner. With the motions of solar systems through the galaxy over billions of years,
The Viking program demonstrated that material from Mars could transit to Earth, and the ability of some microbes to survive the harsh conditions of space. In the latter case, Tyson explains how comparing the composition of the Nakhla meteorite in 1911 to results collected by Tyson explains how DNA similarly records information to propagate life, and postulates theories of how DNA originated on Earth, including evolutionįrom a shallow tide pool, or from the ejecta of meteor collisions from other planets. 2280 BC would be one of the first to sign her name to her works, and how Gilgamesh collected stories, including that of Utnapishtimĭocumenting a great flood comparable to the story of Noah's Ark.
The transfer of information through generations, describing how Princess Enheduanna ca. Tyson begins by explaining how the human development of writing systems enabled This episode covers how life may have developed on Earth and the possibility of life on other planets.