a funny thing about most TEDx talks is that they’re always about the future
that they’re always about the future
that they’re always about the future improving this predicting that everybody
improving this predicting that everybody
improving this predicting that everybody is trying to sell you a better future
is trying to sell you a better future
is trying to sell you a better future and I’m thinking what’s wrong with the
and I’m thinking what’s wrong with the
and I’m thinking what’s wrong with the past doesn’t that have a value too and
past doesn’t that have a value too and
past doesn’t that have a value too and I’m not even a historian I’m a professor
I’m not even a historian I’m a professor
I’m not even a historian I’m a professor in theoretical physics still I like to
in theoretical physics still I like to
in theoretical physics still I like to look back and be amazed and I don’t mean
look back and be amazed and I don’t mean
look back and be amazed and I don’t mean just yesterday or last week now I mean
just yesterday or last week now I mean
just yesterday or last week now I mean the real deal the entire history of our
the real deal the entire history of our
the real deal the entire history of our universe I will show you that the
universe I will show you that the
universe I will show you that the universe is all about history just look
universe is all about history just look
universe is all about history just look out of your window and you peer into the
out of your window and you peer into the
out of your window and you peer into the past everything we see out there can be
past everything we see out there can be
past everything we see out there can be traced back all the way to the Big Bang
traced back all the way to the Big Bang
traced back all the way to the Big Bang and started life as a quantum
and started life as a quantum
and started life as a quantum fluctuation on a cosmic dating show let
fluctuation on a cosmic dating show let
fluctuation on a cosmic dating show let me try and sell you a better past now to
me try and sell you a better past now to
me try and sell you a better past now to get there we have to start in the
get there we have to start in the
get there we have to start in the present what is the universe currently
present what is the universe currently
present what is the universe currently up to looking around us we see lots of
up to looking around us we see lots of
up to looking around us we see lots of nearby galaxies and in a static universe
nearby galaxies and in a static universe
nearby galaxies and in a static universe these will be at some fixed distance
these will be at some fixed distance
these will be at some fixed distance away from us what we see is that they’re
away from us what we see is that they’re
away from us what we see is that they’re all moving and moreover they’re all
all moving and moreover they’re all
all moving and moreover they’re all moving away from us the scientific
moving away from us the scientific
moving away from us the scientific explanation for this is that we live in
explanation for this is that we live in
explanation for this is that we live in an expanding universe a universe that
an expanding universe a universe that
an expanding universe a universe that grows in time and in such a universe all
grows in time and in such a universe all
grows in time and in such a universe all distances increase including those two
distances increase including those two
distances increase including those two nearby galaxies so what does that mean
nearby galaxies so what does that mean
nearby galaxies so what does that mean for the past well the universe that
for the past well the universe that
for the past well the universe that grows in time would have been smaller in
grows in time would have been smaller in
grows in time would have been smaller in its earlier days and if you go back
its earlier days and if you go back
its earlier days and if you go back sufficiently far you get to a moment
sufficiently far you get to a moment
sufficiently far you get to a moment where everything you see in the universe
where everything you see in the universe
where everything you see in the universe comes together in a single point
comes together in a single point
comes together in a single point how long ago is this some 14 billion
how long ago is this some 14 billion
how long ago is this some 14 billion years this is when the Big Bang happened
years this is when the Big Bang happened
years this is when the Big Bang happened and the universe started expanding
and the universe started expanding
and the universe started expanding taking all the galaxies along with it so
taking all the galaxies along with it so
taking all the galaxies along with it so the universe is a bit like an ancient
the universe is a bit like an ancient
the universe is a bit like an ancient Blowfish
Blowfish
Blowfish one of these beautiful sea creatures
one of these beautiful sea creatures
one of these beautiful sea creatures that have a bad temper
that have a bad temper
that have a bad temper something pissed off our Blowfish some
something pissed off our Blowfish some
something pissed off our Blowfish some 14 billion years ago and it’s been
14 billion years ago and it’s been
14 billion years ago and it’s been puffing up ever since now you might be
puffing up ever since now you might be
puffing up ever since now you might be wondering what pissed off our Blowfish
wondering what pissed off our Blowfish
wondering what pissed off our Blowfish well that’s exactly what my research is
well that’s exactly what my research is
well that’s exactly what my research is about what happened during the Big Bang
okay so we live in an expanding universe
okay so we live in an expanding universe so how big is it
so how big is it
so how big is it well that’s funny we don’t know and in
well that’s funny we don’t know and in
well that’s funny we don’t know and in fact it’s fundamentally impossible to
fact it’s fundamentally impossible to
fact it’s fundamentally impossible to know we can only observe one part of the
know we can only observe one part of the
know we can only observe one part of the universe it’s like a bubble that we live
universe it’s like a bubble that we live
universe it’s like a bubble that we live in and the reason for this is the speed
in and the reason for this is the speed
in and the reason for this is the speed of light
of light
of light everything you see in the universe has
everything you see in the universe has
everything you see in the universe has had to send light toward you and this
had to send light toward you and this
had to send light toward you and this takes a bit of time now for the Sun this
takes a bit of time now for the Sun this
takes a bit of time now for the Sun this is around eight minutes but for a
is around eight minutes but for a
is around eight minutes but for a faraway star this can be billions of
faraway star this can be billions of
faraway star this can be billions of years so literally everything you see in
years so literally everything you see in
years so literally everything you see in the universe is history and it’s
the universe is history and it’s
the universe is history and it’s actually hard enough to predict the
actually hard enough to predict the
actually hard enough to predict the present now if you look out sufficiently
present now if you look out sufficiently
present now if you look out sufficiently far you come to light that’s been
far you come to light that’s been
far you come to light that’s been traveling ever since the Big Bang
traveling ever since the Big Bang
traveling ever since the Big Bang basically forever this light is like an
basically forever this light is like an
basically forever this light is like an echo of the Big Bang and it forms the
echo of the Big Bang and it forms the
echo of the Big Bang and it forms the edge of our universe and in fact this
edge of our universe and in fact this
edge of our universe and in fact this echo is very important because it
echo is very important because it
echo is very important because it teaches us what the universe was like
teaches us what the universe was like
teaches us what the universe was like during the Big Bang and what else is out
during the Big Bang and what else is out
during the Big Bang and what else is out there further beyond this echo we have
there further beyond this echo we have
there further beyond this echo we have no way of telling light from those
no way of telling light from those
no way of telling light from those places hasn’t yet had time to
places hasn’t yet had time to
places hasn’t yet had time to reach us it’s like somebody could have
reach us it’s like somebody could have
reach us it’s like somebody could have sent us a message billions of years ago
sent us a message billions of years ago
sent us a message billions of years ago and it still hasn’t arrived we have no
and it still hasn’t arrived we have no
and it still hasn’t arrived we have no idea what’s in the message who sent it
idea what’s in the message who sent it
idea what’s in the message who sent it or even what the universe is like out
or even what the universe is like out
or even what the universe is like out there some theories predict that there
there some theories predict that there
there some theories predict that there could be different laws of physics and
could be different laws of physics and
could be different laws of physics and perhaps even different dimensions now on
perhaps even different dimensions now on
perhaps even different dimensions now on to the central question in my research
to the central question in my research
to the central question in my research given this funny universe what created
given this funny universe what created
given this funny universe what created all the structures inside a well we
all the structures inside a well we
all the structures inside a well we found that everything you see can be
found that everything you see can be
found that everything you see can be traced back all the way to the Big Bang
traced back all the way to the Big Bang
traced back all the way to the Big Bang and started life as a quantum
and started life as a quantum
and started life as a quantum fluctuation on a cosmic dating show you
fluctuation on a cosmic dating show you
fluctuation on a cosmic dating show you can think of it as follows nature it’s
can think of it as follows nature it’s
can think of it as follows nature it’s full of particles and antiparticles and
full of particles and antiparticles and
full of particles and antiparticles and these always want to get together you
these always want to get together you
these always want to get together you know matter loves antimatter electrons
know matter loves antimatter electrons
know matter loves antimatter electrons are looking for positrons particles want
are looking for positrons particles want
are looking for positrons particles want to get together with anti particles and
to get together with anti particles and
to get together with anti particles and most of the time they’re incredibly
most of the time they’re incredibly
most of the time they’re incredibly successful at this they get together and
successful at this they get together and
successful at this they get together and vanish in no time and that’s why we
vanish in no time and that’s why we
vanish in no time and that’s why we don’t notice that there’s so many
don’t notice that there’s so many
don’t notice that there’s so many particles and antiparticles around us
particles and antiparticles around us
particles and antiparticles around us right here right now in this very
right here right now in this very
right here right now in this very theater there’s a lot of this dating
theater there’s a lot of this dating
theater there’s a lot of this dating going on even empty space is full of
going on even empty space is full of
going on even empty space is full of particles and antiparticles looking for
particles and antiparticles looking for
particles and antiparticles looking for each other these are quantum
each other these are quantum
each other these are quantum fluctuations and they always come into
fluctuations and they always come into
fluctuations and they always come into the world in pairs they’re looking for
the world in pairs they’re looking for
the world in pairs they’re looking for their partner and they find it and
their partner and they find it and
their partner and they find it and they’re vanish never to be heard of
they’re vanish never to be heard of
they’re vanish never to be heard of again ever
again ever
again ever now there’s one massive exception to
now there’s one massive exception to
now there’s one massive exception to this story during the Big Bang the
this story during the Big Bang the
this story during the Big Bang the universe was expanding at this
universe was expanding at this
universe was expanding at this incredible rate
incredible rate
incredible rate so all these quantum fluctuations
so all these quantum fluctuations
so all these quantum fluctuations electrons and positrons particles and
electrons and positrons particles and
electrons and positrons particles and antiparticles they came into the world
antiparticles they came into the world
antiparticles they came into the world in Paris but they were torn apart
in Paris but they were torn apart
in Paris but they were torn apart because of the expansion of the universe
because of the expansion of the universe
because of the expansion of the universe and they were still looking for their
and they were still looking for their
and they were still looking for their partner but they couldn’t find it
partner but they couldn’t find it
partner but they couldn’t find it because it was on the other side of the
because it was on the other side of the
because it was on the other side of the universe so the universe is also a
universe so the universe is also a
universe so the universe is also a tragic love story it’s about quantum
tragic love story it’s about quantum
tragic love story it’s about quantum fluctuations that couldn’t find their
fluctuations that couldn’t find their
fluctuations that couldn’t find their partner and at some point ran out of
partner and at some point ran out of
partner and at some point ran out of likes on this cosmic version of tinder
now what does that have to do with
now what does that have to do with structures in the universe well after
structures in the universe well after
structures in the universe well after the Big Bang the universe was born and
the Big Bang the universe was born and
the Big Bang the universe was born and it was perfectly smooth
it was perfectly smooth
it was perfectly smooth apart from these tiny tiny quantum
apart from these tiny tiny quantum
apart from these tiny tiny quantum fluctuations these were looking for
fluctuations these were looking for
fluctuations these were looking for their partner but couldn’t find it and
their partner but couldn’t find it and
their partner but couldn’t find it and instead they started accumulating other
instead they started accumulating other
instead they started accumulating other and other particles and in this way
and other particles and in this way
and other particles and in this way they’ve grown into all the structures
they’ve grown into all the structures
they’ve grown into all the structures that we see in the universe galaxies
that we see in the universe galaxies
that we see in the universe galaxies clusters of galaxies even larger
clusters of galaxies even larger
clusters of galaxies even larger structures all of those arose out of
structures all of those arose out of
structures all of those arose out of those quantum fluctuations during the
those quantum fluctuations during the
those quantum fluctuations during the Big Bang so this tragic love story was
Big Bang so this tragic love story was
Big Bang so this tragic love story was actually great news it was these lonely
actually great news it was these lonely
actually great news it was these lonely quantum bachelors that have built the
quantum bachelors that have built the
quantum bachelors that have built the universe since the Big Bang pretty
universe since the Big Bang pretty
universe since the Big Bang pretty mind-boggling isn’t it now what’s
mind-boggling isn’t it now what’s
mind-boggling isn’t it now what’s perhaps the most amazing about this
perhaps the most amazing about this
perhaps the most amazing about this story is that we can actually test it
story is that we can actually test it
story is that we can actually test it nowadays we’ve sent satellites up into
nowadays we’ve sent satellites up into
nowadays we’ve sent satellites up into space and we’ve measured this echo of
space and we’ve measured this echo of
space and we’ve measured this echo of the Big Bang
the Big Bang
the Big Bang that we talked about at the edge of our
that we talked about at the edge of our
that we talked about at the edge of our universe and this gives us an idea of
universe and this gives us an idea of
universe and this gives us an idea of what the universe was like during the
what the universe was like during the
what the universe was like during the Big Bang and can we explain what we see
Big Bang and can we explain what we see
Big Bang and can we explain what we see oh yes we can
oh yes we can
oh yes we can in my research we’ve built a model for
in my research we’ve built a model for
in my research we’ve built a model for the Big Bang that predicts
the Big Bang that predicts
the Big Bang that predicts exactly the quantum fluctuations that we
exactly the quantum fluctuations that we
exactly the quantum fluctuations that we observe so we seem to be on track
observe so we seem to be on track
observe so we seem to be on track towards understanding the Big Bang and
towards understanding the Big Bang and
towards understanding the Big Bang and the origin of all structures in the
the origin of all structures in the
the origin of all structures in the universe we’re all descendants from
universe we’re all descendants from
universe we’re all descendants from lonely quantum fluctuations looking for
lonely quantum fluctuations looking for
lonely quantum fluctuations looking for a partner on this cosmic dating show
a partner on this cosmic dating show
a partner on this cosmic dating show thank you very much
thank you very much
thank you very much [Applause]
”
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