A Brief History of the Universe: Crash Course Astronomy #44

Thanks to the wonders of physics, astronomers can map a timeline of the universe’s history. Today, Phil’s going to give you an overview of those first few minutes (yes, MINUTES) of the universe’s life. It started with the Big Bang when the Universe was incredibly dense and hot. It expanded and cooled, going through multiple stages where different kinds of matter could form. It underwent a phenomenally rapid expansion called inflation, which smoothed out much of the lumpiness in the matter. Normal matter formed atoms between 3 and 20 minutes after the bang, and the lumps left over from inflation formed the galaxies and larger structures we see today.

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Chapters:
Introduction: The History of the Universe 00:00
Giant Particle Colliders 1:22
Phase Changes 1:58
After the Big Bang: The First Minutes 4:29
Recombination 6:15
Inflation 8:36
Unanswered Questions in Astronomy 10:31
Review 11:22
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PHOTOS/VIDEOS
Melting Snowball video courtesy of Phil Plait

[dasoyee]

Honestly, if they showed these videos in public education more often, we'd be seeing so many more people going into science related courses. Phil's enthusiasm is very inspiring, and it'd be great to have that rub off on the next generation of potential scientists. Sometimes it only takes one small push to make giant leaps

[papafrancesco]

No no no, you are not ending this series you hear me?

[bryanwan]

Anyone scared this series will end soon?

[deathroman]

I hated math and astronomy but now after watching these videos I really appreciate it and the awesomeness of the universe and where we come from.

I wish I did not quit school so that I could have gone on and study astronomy.

[SomethingSeemsOff]

I have bad adhd, and i was able to watch the whole video through without getting distracted. It really kept me captivated. had to share because it's an awesome experience that rarely happens

[skippythesupercat]

God this was possibly the most informative 12.5 minutes of my life

[swsephy]

Please say that when this series is over that Phil will host another.

[MeleeTiger]

"There be dragons" ... I love that.

[bartosso]

If I haven't been digging astronomy already, you Phil would be that one person who would manage to get me into it. This is a wonderful show. Thank you.

[robertbilling]

"Without form, and void..." I can't help feeling that this describes the early universe perfectly.

[QuantumPolagnus]

You're awesome, Phil! I appreciate your enthusiasm for this and for explaining it so well, but in a common-sense method. I feel like you're making it relatable without dumbing it down too much.

[tateadams]

9:40 -ish it says share your favorite space puns.
Well,
"How many astronomers does it take to change a lightbulb? None, astronomers aren't scared of the dark."

[breakingseas]

Thursdays are the best days because it means another Crash Course Astronomy video!

[Tobacco_Bowls]

Who's this one dislike? One person is just like "hey screw the history of the universe wah!"

[Noukz]

Again, in order to be a good teacher, one of the most important things to have is enthusiasm and belief in what you're teaching!

[a.i.]

In the beginning there was nothing. Then, there was everything. The end. 😂

[almonjoinye]

You guys did Phil dirty and don't show him he's what made me start watching this channel.

[natXP]

These videos have removed a lot of the difficulty trying to learn bout something that interests me so much. Thanks a lot for keeping the details in ppl tend to brush over, like how the information was found, just makes it easier to keep learning about it all. Bravo.

[KimShailee]

I AM SO DISGUSTED. I am a 16 yo teen, and just graduated high school. Got my baccalaureate with a score of 16/20 and skipped classed because I already knew how to read and count.

I absolutely hated science, I hated it more than anything. Nothing interested me. We of course briefly went over planets in elementary school. But then I never heard of it in class.

And now I'm here, Economic ans Social baccalaureate in my pocket, admitted in a STB in international trade with an European referential (3 years of studies), just finishing this series, with a huge urge and desire to study astronomy.

I feel it in my bones, it's the birth of a passion. I am absolutely mindblown and I want to learn even more. I want to be part of this, part of the exploration. I want to understand before leaving.

I want more.

But I am disgusted. Because I stumbled across these videos. Not a single one of the teachers I had before I stopped studying sciences showed anything similar to this. Not a single one. If they had, I would have changed paths when I had the choice.


This is why there are so little teenagers that choose to study astronomy and physics, because they're not interested. Teachers don't make them interested.

I always believed in my potential, and I feel like it's wasted because I could have done something worthy. Something that will actually bring us something.

[sharada]

0:26 my refrigerator after my mom comes back from the grocery store