The Timeline of the Universe | Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains...

How far back in time can the JWST see? On this explainer, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Chuck Nice, and Gary O’Reilly break down the timeline of the universe, looking at when the solar system started, when life began, and other highlights.

We dive into the gridiron timeline of the universe. If the timeline of the universe we mapped out on a football field, where would human civilization be? We go through all the landmark points on the gridiron timeline: When our solar system was born, when life started on Earth, when humans arrived, and how far back the James Webb Space Telescope will let us see. Was the universe just right for life?

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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!

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0:00 - Introduction
1:06 - Age of the Universe
2:01 - Timescales
5:04 - Age of the Universe in Yards
6:07 - Solar System
7:05 - What JWST Is Observing
7:58 - Life
8:49 - Cave Dwellers
9:32 - Development of Agriculture
9:50 - Religious Figures
10:32 - Advancement of Civilization
12:25 - Cosmic Perspectives
13:06 - Cosmos
14:21 - How JWST Will Change Our Notion Of Time
16:00 - Predicting the Future
17:40 - Closing Notes

[StarTalk]

Would you rather look into the past or the future?

[studiocordesvocalles]

Let's all take a moment to cherish the fact that Neil deGrasse Tyson popped into existance in our universe

[TheDunlopdude]

What a perfect time to have the best person to interpret the universe, at the same time as the James Webb Telescope giving us the data to interpret.

[JasonTylerRicci]

The football field/universe analogy is brilliant. I love when Neil breaks down the complexity of the universe into terms we layman can easily understand.

[owentheoutlaw_]

The best group of people ❤️, Its a great time to be alive.

Remember, The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself - Carl Sagan.

[fulstaak]

Cosmos is an exceptional series. Just beautiful and fun to watch, and you learn quite a lot along the way. Loved it, each time I watched or rewatched it. I don't buy a lot of digital movies, I think I have less than 5, and these are one of them. The cosmic calendar was really well done. Thanks for this work Neil, hope there will be a 3rd season!

[ejmtv]

That's why every time I hear a friend talk about Mercury Retrograde affecting their life, I slowly fade out of their lives.

[johnb]

Neil Degrasse Tyson is amazing at explaining space and time so well we can almost literally see it.

[quintenkortekaas]

This one of my favorite shows the explainers and the cosmic quaries are so damn good

[The_SCPFoundation]

My dog, (my 3 year old daughter's best friend), is turning 15 this February. I don't envy the equivalent human age of 105. And I now have major respect for his energy and health to keep up with my daughter. I can't see him passing within the next 2-3 years but with this perspective, it's unbelievable how old he actually is. 2 years would make him 135 😳😳 sonny Bono is getting major belly rubs and some baked chicken and rice today after work

[joseimpact]

this is the most American this ever "tell me how old the universe is in football field yards" 😂😂😂

[mattevans-koch]

Thank you for another eye opening explainer. I recall a similar discussion of just human history when I was in high school history class. It was based on the length of a mile in yards and it was astonishing how short the present was. Have a great weekend all.

[mickeybrumfield]

We here the numbers thousand, million, and billion all the time without really grasping how large they are, especially when put in the context of time in years. Thank you Dr. Tyson for giving us some perspective.

[andagain]

I remember that cosmic calendar on Cosmos. It was really helpful and provided a lot of perspective

[Sammasambuddha]

It's ridiculous that Joe Rogan (love you joe!) has more subscribers.
! HIT THAT 👍 BUTTON !
Make the algorithm work for Startalk!

[Docta]

There are a lot of blades of grass in between the 7 yard line and the end zone that need to be discovered.... I really hope that we as a species never stop pushing our limits and continue to have the hunger for discovery.

[michaelnelson]

That calendar explainer video was my first time watching Neil very cool I can’t get enough

[jimiverson]

That's the interesting paradox of better and better telescopes. We can see what other parts of the universe were like billions of years ago. But we have no idea what they are like now.

[THall-vicp]

It's refreshing to see someone frame looking into the universe as looking into the past. So often, we look at some part of the universe as be X distance away, never really giving any thought that, due to extreme distances, by the time the light reaches us that part of the universe has changed.

[billross]

What an amazing explanation of how far back in time the James Webb telescope can go by using a football field analogy! Knowing that it can look back from the 7 yard line to present is now understood mind-boggling Thanks so much, Neil!!