The most surprising discoveries from our universe – with Chris Lintott

Did you know that many profound discoveries about our universe have been made accidentally? Find out more with Chris Lintott.

Join BBC Sky at Night presenter and Gresham Professor of Astronomy Chris Lintott as he unravels tales of peculiar accidents, remarkable individuals, and the occasional human oversight that have collectively shaped some of the most pivotal celestial revelations.

This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 21 March 2024.

00:00 Intro – our accidental universe
4:08 The incredible discovery made on Saturn’s moon Enceladus
13:27 Searching for life across the cosmos
19:16 Radio signals from across the universe?
29:06 Detecting possible structures around planets
39:51 Planetary ingestion – planets eating stars
45:11 Why conditions on Venus are so different from Earth
50:40 How NASA fixed the Hubble telescope in space
54:38 What Hubble discovered by accident

When capturing the first glimpses of the earliest galaxies, the Hubble Space Telescope was focused on a region of space presumed to be vacant. However, the image it produced was anything but – the iconic Hubble Ultra-Deep Field image revealed at least 10,000 galaxies.

Another astonishingly accidental discovery was the hidden story of Enceladus, one of Saturn’s myriad moons. Very little was known about Enceladus until NASA’s Cassini probe revealed its environment in more detail, including its capabilities as a potential haven for life.

The narrative continues with the revelation of pulsars, the remnants of colossal stars long extinguished. They were not uncovered through meticulous observation but rather as hidden gems within the unassuming data, disguised as background noise in the measurements of faint celestial radio signals.

As new observatories and state-of-the-art technology continue to develop, Chris calls for scientists to keep an open mind as the potential for discovery grows, allowing us to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

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Christopher John Lintott is a British astrophysicist, author and broadcaster. He is a Professor of Astrophysics in the Department of Physics at the University of Oxford, and since 2023 is the Gresham Professor of Astronomy at Gresham College, London. Lintott is involved in a number of popular science projects aimed at bringing astronomy to a wider audience and is also the primary presenter of the BBC television series The Sky at Night.

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[Rhimeson]

I enjoy Chris Lintott's communication style; interesting, humorous and laid back. Good lecture. Thanks :)

[theextragalactic]

I was fortunate to have been one of the attendees - this was a wonderful event!

[nnwzirm]

i have been following this channel from 2019 all guests enthusiasm is astounding

[leddielive]

What an enthralling lecture, I was thoroughly captivated for the entirety of the hour, what a fascinating universe we all live in. 😀

[JenniferNg]

I love Chris Lintott! I have been watching “The Sky at Night” for years 😍

[JoyoSnooze]

A wonderfully easy and thoroughly engaging talk to listen to, even for those of us who may already be familiar with the examples shown here.
I am consistently proud of the Royal Institution for showcasing scientific communication to the world.

[chunky]

Such an inspiration!
The style may still be there but lucid clarity is seldom heard.

[andycordy]

How wonderful that the universe very occasionally creates by a series of accidents, a gifted science communicator able to deliver these staggering concepts on mainstream media and in RI talks. Thank you

[amirmn]

Royal Institution is the gift keeps giving to humanity. I am amazed and I awe of these magnificent talks. Thank you!

[SpeedyGermany]

Engaging talk, would love to see more! Thx for the upload!

[elenalosseva]

Amazing lecture! Thank you for sharing it

[EmilyMaynard-mjsg]

I LOVE DR. T!! I was an astrophysics major at LSU for 2 years and took her for a few classes!

[occamraiser]

Wonderful. I'm so glad I ran across this.

[DanielVerberne]

16:40 - pondering 'answers' to the Fermi Paradox is one of my favourite intellectual activities. It touches upon such deep questions....how we view ourselves, how we view humanity and our trajectory as a species.... what we suspect is the nature of the cosmos in relation to fostering life ... whether one thinks that consciousness, that strange and mysterious seeming trick of advanced life, whether THAT is in some way central to the cosmos .... what we think of time, etc, etc. The Fermi Paradox is a fun question to engage with.

[timhannah]

Brilliant, Many Thanks Chris Loved it!

[koori]

Brilliant delivery of very interesting thoughts, wonderful production!

[jesmarina]

Great talk. Almost stream-of-consciousness-like. Super.

[Billybobble]

I read the answer to the Fermi paradox just recently from a humble Youtube comment and I wish I could remember the name of the person that presented the solution. There is no Fermi paradox, life is out there, but the reason we don't know about them is because like us, they simply cannot get government funding to progress their civilisation.

[DanielVerberne]

And the award for most pleasing speaking diction goes to .... Chris Lintott!
A very engaging speaker.

[markosullivan]

I've just bought the book, looking forward to reading it.