What are the implications of Relativity for the Universe?  This lecture
introduces the Cosmological Principle, which states that the Universe is
Homogeneous and Isotropic on Large Scales.  Applying this to his
then-new General Relativyt, Einstein got a surprise: the Universe must
either expand or contract in response to all the matter/energy that
fills it, something not observed in 1917.  To attempt to stabilize the
Universe, he introduced a Cosmological Constant (Lambda), that was to
prove his greatest blunder.  Subsequent theoretical and observational
work was to establish that the Universe is indeed expanding
systematically, if you look on scales large enough (the scale of
galaxies).  We will review observational evidence for the large-scale
Homogeneity and Isotropy of the Universe, Einstein's brilliant conjecture,
and see how the Cosmological Constant maybe wasn't such a blunder after
all, as it has recently made a comeback of sorts.  We'll explore these
themes in greater detail in subsequent lectures.
Recorded 2006 February 22 in 1008 Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus
of The Ohio State University.

Lecture 33: Einstein's Universe

Natural Sciences

Science & Medicine

Education

Training

Language Courses

Higher Education

K-12

Educational Technology

Science

Astronomy

Courses

A new podcast, Astronomy 141, Life in the Universe, is available
for those interested in continuing an exploration of topics in
modern astronomy.

Astronomy 141 Podcast Teaser

Where are Lectures 1-4?  This is a good question, and one I've gotten
from many listeners.  Here's the answer.  Recorded 2006 Nov 27 on the
Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

Lectures 1-4: An Explanation

Welcome to the Astronomy 162 Lecture Podcasts!  This is a brief message
from me explaining the podcasts, and welcoming new and old listeners.
Recorded 2006 Mar 10 on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State
University.

Welcome to Astronomy 162

How can we search for extraterrestrial intelligence, and what are we
looking for?  This second part of a 2-part lecture picks up where we
left off yesterday by examining SETI, the Search for ExtraTerrestrial
Intelligence, and reviews what we might look for and how.  We will use
this as a point of departure to then briefly review where we have come
and what we have learned in Astronomy 162, bringing this course to a
close for Winter Quarter 2006.  Recorded 2006 Mar 10 in 1008 Evans
Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

Lecture 44: Life, the Universe, and Everything (Life Part II)

Are we alone in the Universe?  This is the first part of a 2-part
lecture that will explore the question of life and the Universe.  We
will look at the conditions needed for life, and address the question of
how often we expect those conditions to be satisfied in our own Galaxy.
In this part, we introduce the Drake Equation and make some basic
estimates.  To be honest, it was supposed to be one lecture, but I ran
over time and ran into the bell.  Oops!  Very embarrasing.  Tomorrow's
lecture will finish up our discussion of life in the Universe, and then
wrap up Astronomy 162 for the quarter.  Recorded 2006 March 9 in 1008
Evans Laboratory on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University.

Lecture 33: Einstein's Universe

Download our free app to listen on your phone