Exploring an Ever-Expanding Universe
46:30 minutes
Saul Perlmutter shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics for his discovery that the universe was expanding at an accelerating rate. Perlmutter explains how supernovae and other astronomical artifacts are used to measure the expansion rate, and discusses what physicists are learning about “dark energy”—the mysterious entity thought to be driving the acceleration.
Segment Guests
Saul Perlmutter
Saul Perlmutter is a Nobel Laureate (sharing the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics); a physics professor at the University of California, Berkeley; and a senior scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California.
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About Annette Heist
Annette Heist is a former senior producer for Science Friday.