Stephen Hawking's Universe
Programme Summary:
Stephen Hawking’s Universe delves into the mind of the world's most famous living scientist and reveals the splendor and majesty of the universe as never seen before. Using a combination of CGI, live action, archive and visual effects, the three-part series brings Hawking's extraordinary vision of the universe to the screen in stunning high definition.
Over 20 years since he wrote the ground-breaking A Brief History Of Time, Hawking will offer a fresh perspective on the mysteries of the cosmos. Presenting his theories, in what is considered to be the ‘golden age of cosmology’, the epic series will chart the history of the universe, from the awe-inspiring energy of the big bang to the end of time itself. Accessible and entertaining, it will see Hawking tackle some of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos - How did the universe begin and how will it end? Are we alone? And is time travel possible?
Programme Info:
Broadcaster: The Discovery Channel
Distributor: The Discovery Channel
Genre: Specialist Factual
Format: 2 x 60 & 1 x 120min
Production year: 2010
Executive Producers: Ben Bowie & John Smithson
Additional details
Episode 1 - Aliens
Professor Hawking considers one of the greatest mysteries facing humankind - the possibility of intelligent alien life existing somewhere in the universe. He leads viewers on an incredible journey through the galaxy, rendered in stunning computer graphic imagery, from the moons of Jupiter to exo-solar planets light years from earth which could sustain life forms similar to us. Viewers will meet possible aliens and wonder at their form as we delve into the very principles of what it is to call something alive, and calculate the likelihood of 'contact' being made and – even more intriguingly – what aliens would want from us when they do make contact.
Episode 2 - Time Travel
The master of time tackles time travel. Professor Hawking explores the world's favourite scientific 'what if?' He explores all the possibilities, warping the very fabric of time and space as he goes in search of a way to travel through the fourth dimension and discover the route to the past or the future. From riding a black hole to the likely consequences of time travel for human genealogy, we learn the pitfalls and the prospects for a technology that could quite literally, change everything.
Episode 3 - The Life and Death of the Universe
In this stunning two-hour conclusion to the series, we’re taken on a journey which spans the life of our universe. From the Big Bang to the death of the Sun and on, to the ultimate cosmic climax, it’s an unprecedented voyage of scientific discovery. In his unique story-telling style, Hawking explains how the universe was first formed and the remarkable chain of events that produced us. He goes on to show how our fate is tied to the fate of the universe, and that in the end, complete mastery of physics could lead us to new universes, even as our own is destroyed.