This Star Is Older Than The Universe and Scientists Can't Explain It

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Thoughty2 (Arran) is a British YouTuber and gatekeeper of useless facts. Thoughty2 creates mind-blowing factual videos about science, tech, history, opinion and just about everything else.
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Writing: Steven Rix
Editing: Jack Stevens

[fieryelf]

Guys, I've been around since the beginning of time and I can confirm that the universe is AT LEAST 40 years old.

[theophrastusbombastus]

The problem with trying to determine the age of the universe (using existing methods) is that they presume the laws of physics have been consistent at all places and all times since its inception

[joeb]

This star is so old it remembers having to hike to the cluster every eon ... up the gravity well ... BOTH

[JamisKool]

When we think we start to understand things, things make us rethink.

[nem]

How astronomers name stars: “hey what if we just slammed our head on a keyboard?”
Cp7b89.-d

[aureliusmcnaughton]

This is one of my favorite science channels, but every time I see a title that has a Lie in it I think a little bit less of that channel. Scientists CAN explain it, as was revealed in the video. You didn't need to lie for clickbait, you have a good show. Every time you do, intelligent viewers feel insulted and become less and less likely to click on your content. Just sayin...

[stockvrgaming]

The simple fact that its one of the oldest stars we have found so far, makes him special enough to keep calling him Methusala's star to me.

[blackbirdpie]

Scientists revisited their assessment of the star's age only because the estimate they first had was unreasonable. So they look, calculate and ponder until they formulate a reasonable answer. But this makes me wonder how many other stars and related astronomical ages, speeds and distances are incorrect but generally accepted only because the estimate seems reasonable.

[DaveMiller]

The star isn't older than the universe. Scientists are wrong about the age of the star, the age of the universe, or both.

[robertvondarth]

Perhaps time isn’t smoothly distributed in space?

[gmollster]

So basically, they prove by calculating how old they think this star is that they really have no idea if any of their calculations are close to accurate.

[coreyg]

The most bazar thing is that it never occured to the people studying this star that their dating technique might be flawed.

[joshb]

17:44 my mother in law will be thrilled to know she has some kind of competition

[DroneBeeStrike]

Stars older than the universe, black holes that shouldn't exist, celestial objects behaving in "impossible" ways - as if we have it all figured out. We know nothing

[Defensive_Wounds]

15:56 - Meaning of life, the universe and everything. Beyond the number 42!

[gabriellashimone]

Science is a giant toolbox. What we can determine by using the tools is only as accurate as the methods, means, measures, and tools we use, as well as our knowledge, understanding, and creative use of those tools. Quality of tools is also a factor. The point is, if we are honest with ourselves and if we follow scientific method, we have to realistically say that all our knowledge of the universe is, at best, a calculated guess.

[blockermand]

So, obviously we don't understand how the universe formed. Which shouldn't be surprising considering how little of the universe we've seen. Almost everything we think we know is extrapolated from light cast from stars millions of years ago, seen from here.

We keep making up exceptions to our view (like dark matter and energy) rather than re-examine the core ideas we base the theories on. Making things more complicated rather than the sublime and simple explanations that probably actually are truth.

We resist challenging our "knowledge" because it invalidates our beliefs. This is the hubris of man.

[lonelyalchemist]

"Hey I've seen this one before, it's a classic." Any Outer Wilds fan.

[Gyno-Mackima]

Always remember, our theory of the age of the universe is based off of the visible observable universe we currently have access to. No matter what number scientist try to choose it’ll always be wrong because we simply don’t have enough information to have even the slightest idea.

[MalachiteViking]

The Methuselah star (HD 140283) blows my mind! It's estimated to be around 12 billion years old, which is crazy considering that's almost as old as the universe itself. What really gets me is how its age seems to conflict with what we know about cosmology. I love that scientists are still digging into this mystery. It just goes to show how much we still don’t fully understand about the universe. Can’t wait to see what they discover next!