Stars feel like a fundamental feature of the Universe – as essential as planets, galaxies and space itself. But since we know the Universe had a beginning (the Big Bang), there must also have been a first star. Before it, there was only darkness; after it, the cosmos as we know it began to take shape.

Exactly what those first stars were like – and how they transformed everything that followed – remains one of astronomy’s great mysteries. It’s a mystery that astrophysicist Dr Emma Chapman has dedicated much of her career to solving.

In this episode, Emma joins us to talk about her book First Light: Switching on the Stars at the Dawn of Time, recently updated to include discoveries from groundbreaking telescopes like the James Webb Space Telescope.

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