Does The Axis Of Evil Scare You?

I talk about the Axis of Evil and how it related to the cosmic microwave background

[garretlevi]

Well this is a huge relief. I was beginning to think maybe I wasn't the center of the universe after all.

[atothebyt]

Thanks for giving me 20 more things to think about while trying to fall asleep

[wordreet]

Yeah, my rear axle was pretty bad until I replaced the bearings and brakes.

[somewherenorthofstarbase]

Thanks for this. Cosmologists avoid this strange, inexplicable alignment like the plague. It strongly suggests some of our deep ideas are totally wrong.

[cmelton]

Weird idea: the magnetic fields of the Sun and the planets are slightly warping the observed background radiation, making it look like there's some special bias when there really isnt. Maybe the weird patterns aren't observable outside the Sun's magnetic field

[bryanrobertday]

This was a great episode. And damnit I love your simple and thorough videos. It's so refreshing. So many other content creators are trying to make their videos too weird and quirky but you are consistent and high quality and I get the sense that you really care about the content.

[badwf]

These are the kinds of things i wish they taught in high-school. Learning about and understanding these hot topics mysteries in the science world is just as important as learning the facts. It inspires a curiosity and desire to solve these questions and delve deeper into science.

[SentientMeatbag]

I think it would be very interesting to do the same measurements with telescopes in orbit around Mars or Venus to see if the "axis of evil" simply aligns with the axial tilt of the planet the telescope is orbiting around.

[adammujaj]

With a cheap spectrum analyser like that you are seeing the instrument's noise, not the cosmic background radiation. It is also at much higher frequencies. But it makes for a good analogy!

[GillamtheGreatest]

this was one of the most approachable descriptions and visualizations for the big bang i have heard. i have young family members i will be showing this since i have never been able to explain it this well

[mitsaras]

It can also be just a happy coincidence. In an infinite universe with a vast amount of planets, it's not so strange that a few of them would happen to align with this axis. Or it could be that our measurements of the cosmic background radiation, are influenced by our placement in the cosmos in a way that it produces this result.

[stevenswapp]

I've always liked your videos, but lately I've just noticed (more than once) that you really explain things clearly and thoroughly. Plus you seem to have more stuff on the evolution of the universe, which is very much my cup of proverbial tea. Thanks so much!

[morn]

Hasn´t the idea of the Universe not being isotropic on a large scale already been ruled out 2016?
In the paper "How isotropic is the Universe?" by Daniela Saadeh
(So it seems there was something wrong with the data.)

[abeltotallynotdnsclientors]

When I watch videos about the universe I usually come out depressed, but this oneake me really happy for some reason, thanks. ☺️

[NuyoricanJoseph]

This is probably the most explainable way to explain this and yet.. I just nod and smile 😊👍

[neutronenstern.]

weird explanation: maybe for some reason (butterfly effect or something) life on a planet can only evolve if the planet rotates around the sun in line with this exact anomaly.
So actually point 3 holds due to this.

[HankMeyer]

It could also be a coincidence. Like the moon being parked so conveniently where it is so that it has the same apparent magnitude as the sun. Or pyramids being popular stone structures in separate ancient cultures worldwide.

Maybe the magnetic fields of the sun & Jupiter are interfering with microwaves slightly. Maybe the magnetic field of the universe itself has a subtle influence on planetary orbits.

[YathishShamaraj]

6:42 you didn't explore another option.
What if the alignment has something to do with where we are looking at it from (from the plane of the solar system).

Remember, an inverted cone looks like a circle when viewed from above....

[achelusforeverrrr]

Well you answered your own question, if the “universe” is infinite wouldn’t every single thing in existence be in the center of the universe no matter where you stand because regardless of where you stand every direction stems out infinitely.

[oblivionrapture]

Man your videos are awesome, I love the way you describe complicated topics, you’re a great teacher