Uploaded October 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This Halloween, join cosmologist Niayesh Afshordi and YouTuber Phil Halper for a journey into the darkest, untold stories of our cosmic origins. From ghosts that walk through the wall of the Big Bang, to phantom forces that could one day rip the universe apart, to monstrous black holes that devour worlds yet may give birth to new ones—our tale is filled with mysteries stranger than any horror story. In this playful yet thought-provoking talk, you'll discover how these cosmic hauntings are reshaping our understanding of where we come from—and where we're headed.
**********
Niayesh Afshordi is professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo and associate faculty at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, Canada. He has contributed to Scientific American and was a consultant to PBS's NOVA, and his work has been featured in numerous popular media outlets, such as the covers of Scientific American and Science, as well as in The Guardian and The New York Times.
Phil Halper is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a science popularizer. He is the creator of the popular YouTube series Before the Big Bang. His astronomy images have been featured in major media outlets including The Washington Post, the BBC, and The Guardian, and he has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals. He lives in London.
**********
Now in its eighth year, Samhain agus Science brings together researchers from DIAS and around the world for a series of free events that take inspiration from the Celtic festival of Samhain and look at the dark side of science.
The festival aims to make the big scientific questions of our time and Celtic history relevant, accessible, and fun to a general audience who might not normally be familiar with these topics.
This Halloween, join cosmologist Niayesh Afshordi and YouTuber Phil Halper for a journey into the darkest, untold stories of our cosmic origins. From ghosts that walk through the wall of the Big Bang, to phantom forces that could one day rip the universe apart, to monstrous black holes that devour worlds yet may give birth to new ones—our tale is filled with mysteries stranger than any horror story. In this playful yet thought-provoking talk, you'll discover how these cosmic hauntings are reshaping our understanding of where we come from—and where we're headed.
**********
Niayesh Afshordi is professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Waterloo and associate faculty at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, Canada. He has contributed to Scientific American and was a consultant to PBS's NOVA, and his work has been featured in numerous popular media outlets, such as the covers of Scientific American and Science, as well as in The Guardian and The New York Times.
Phil Halper is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a science popularizer. He is the creator of the popular YouTube series Before the Big Bang. His astronomy images have been featured in major media outlets including The Washington Post, the BBC, and The Guardian, and he has published several papers in peer-reviewed journals. He lives in London.
**********
Now in its eighth year, Samhain agus Science brings together researchers from DIAS and around the world for a series of free events that take inspiration from the Celtic festival of Samhain and look at the dark side of science.
The festival aims to make the big scientific questions of our time and Celtic history relevant, accessible, and fun to a general audience who might not normally be familiar with these topics.
