Wonders of the Universe

2011 • Discovery
4.8
190 reviews
TV-PG
Rating
Eligible
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Season 1 episodes (4)

1 Destiny
7/27/11
Brian Cox seeks to understand the nature of time. From an extraordinary calendar built into the landscape of Peru to the beaches of Costa Rica, Brian explores the cycles of time which define our experience of life on Earth. But even the most epic cycles of life can't begin to compare to the vast expanse of cosmic time. Just as the Earth orbits the Sun, the Solar system orbits the entire Milky Way Galaxy in a cycle that takes a staggering 250 million years to complete.
2 Stardust
8/3/11
In the second stop in his exploration of the wonders of the universe, Professor Brian Cox goes in search of humanity's very essence to answer the biggest questions of all: what are we? And where do we come from? This film is the story of matter - the stuff of which we are all made. Brian reveals how our origins are entwined with the life cycle of the stars. But he begins his journey here on Earth.
3 Falling
8/10/11
Professor Brian Cox takes on the story of the force that sculpts the entire universe - gravity. It seems so familiar, and yet gravity is one of the strangest and most surprising forces in the universe. Starting with a zero gravity flight, Brian considers how much of an effect gravity has had on the world around us. But gravity also acts over much greater distances. It is the great orchestrator of the cosmos.
4 Messengers
8/17/11
In the last episode of Professor Brian Cox's epic journey across the universe, he travels from the fossils of the Burgess Shale to the sands of the oldest desert in the world to show how light holds the key to our understanding of the whole universe, including our own deepest origins. But first we need to understand the peculiar properties of light itself.

About this show

The universe is almost impossible to comprehend - 13.7 billion years old, 93 billion light years across and filled with over 100 billion galaxies, each containing hundreds of billions of stars. This series explains the vast phenomena of deep space by re-examining the familiar on Earth. Taking science away from telescopes and labs, Wonders of the Universe travels into the natural world and across the planet. These journeys are combined with spectacular images of space. Using stunning high definition CGI, this program offers views of giant supernova, gamma ray bursts and recently discovered galaxies, and sheds light on the furthest reaches of the universe, just moments after its creation.

Ratings and reviews

4.8
190 reviews
Brenan Duhamel
September 9, 2017
I have worked as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist for the past 12 years in the concentration of Molecular Biology. After watching Professor Brian Cox host Wonders of the Solar System, Wonders of the Universe, Wonders of Life, and Human Universe, I have begun higher educational pursuits of Astrobiology and Astrophysics at my local University, a tier 1 research institution…no joke…real story! I also recommend books authored by Professor Brian Cox. Gave one to my father for Christmas and it sparked great intellectual debate for months!
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John Grundowski
January 10, 2018
Comprehensive, with a touch of human awe..hard to fill ,S. Hawkkings / Carl Sagan's shoes...
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Patrick Slavens
January 2, 2014
One of my favorite shows. I wish there were more episodes.
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