Episode 04: HIDING IN THE LIGHT
On our continuing voyages, we reopen the Window
to the Past to see ancient Chinese history, where
the first emperor of China violently suppressed free
thought and speech with the first known book burning.
Travelling westwards and up to the 11th century, we
see Europe and Africa during the Golden Age of
Islam, when Arabic was the language of mathematics
and science. We meet one of that region’s earliest
physicists, Ibn al-Haytham. Described as the father of
the Scientific Method, through enhanced optics he first
understood how we see light and how it travels.
Continuing the themes of light and enlightenment,
we discover William Herschel’s breakthroughs on
infrared in sunlight, and conclusions on invisible forms
of light beyond what we can see. This episode also
recites the tale of a poor 19th century Bavarian boy,
rescued by royalty, who as an adult discovered
unique signatures in starlight. He went on to found the
science of astrophysics. His highly guarded discoveries
locked away in an ancient abbey would capture the
imagination of another genius (the hero of Episode
09), and lead to a world-altering key to the Cosmos
itself.
“When we look up at night and view the stars, everything we
see is shinning because of distant nuclear fusion.”
– Carl Sagan, “Cosmos”
Episode 05: A SKY FULL OF GHOSTS
Pushing forward into new realms, Neil takes us on a
new trip into light, time and gravity; and we discover
how they warp our universal perceptions.
We meet William Herschel again, a man who
revealed that telescopes are time machines looking
back into the distant past. We meet his young son
John, who inspired by tales from his father will follow
in his astronomical footsteps. But an ominous outsider
skulks close by. All three are actors in the bizarre play
showing how light plays with time and gravity.
Accelerating to near the speed of light, we take our
Ship of the Imagination to faraway destinations seen
only by telescopes. And for each journey we observe
how events and life has unfolded on Earth in our
absence. Then we push onwards, to the beginning of
space and the very end of time itself.
All of us go about our lives in a gravity well. As
toddlers we learn to stand tall against an invisible force
that keeps us down. A teenage girl speeds off on her
motorbike leaving the taunts of young boys behind.
The beautiful Italian countryside whips past her as she
experiences the phenomena related to relativistic
travel through the Cosmos. But what would happen if
the speed of light was infinite?
We change the gravity in New York City to see how
it affects the lives of those in the Big Apple. Then we
run into the shadowy figure from the late 18th century
who concluded that black holes must exist. Taking our
Ship of the Imagination to the event horizon of a black
hole, we peer inward curiously. But then we are caught
inescapably and are drawn over the edge and into it.
What is reality now? Anything must be possible. Time
travelling backwards in Neil’s life, we look into the day
that changed his world forever. The day he met Carl
Sagan…
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