Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this documentary, Brian Cox explores how light acts as a cosmic messenger, allowing us to stare back across deep time. From the ancient pharaohs alignment at the Karnak Temple in Egypt to the sound barrier-breaking Hawker Hunter jet, we unlock the secrets of the speed of light. Discover how the Danish astronomer Ole Rømer first measured its finite speed using Jupiter's moon, Io, and how this cosmic speed limit turns telescopes into time machines. Journey 2.5 million light-years away to the Andromeda Galaxy - seeing it as it looked when our early ancestors, Homo habilis, roamed Earth. Peer into the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to witness the universe's origin, the Big Bang theory, and the expanding fabric of space itself. Finally, we travel to the Burgess Shale in Canada to see how the evolution of the compound eye in Trilobites and the primitive light-sensing cells of Pikaia triggered the Cambrian Explosion, ultimately giving us the eyes to look back up at the stars.
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In this documentary, Brian Cox explores how light acts as a cosmic messenger, allowing us to stare back across deep time. From the ancient pharaohs alignment at the Karnak Temple in Egypt to the sound barrier-breaking Hawker Hunter jet, we unlock the secrets of the speed of light. Discover how the Danish astronomer Ole Rømer first measured its finite speed using Jupiter's moon, Io, and how this cosmic speed limit turns telescopes into time machines. Journey 2.5 million light-years away to the Andromeda Galaxy - seeing it as it looked when our early ancestors, Homo habilis, roamed Earth. Peer into the Hubble Ultra Deep Field to witness the universe's origin, the Big Bang theory, and the expanding fabric of space itself. Finally, we travel to the Burgess Shale in Canada to see how the evolution of the compound eye in Trilobites and the primitive light-sensing cells of Pikaia triggered the Cambrian Explosion, ultimately giving us the eyes to look back up at the stars.
Subscribe to Spark for more amazing science, tech & engineering videos: goo.gl/LIrlur 🚀
Join the Spark Channel Membership to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UCMV3aTOwUtG5vwfH9_rzb2w/join
You can now become a History Hit member right here on YouTube! Join for access to a new exclusive documentary every week, and access to over 160+ of our documentaries presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, Eleanor Janega, Tristan Hughes, Mary Beard, Matt Lewis and more.
Get an exclusive release every week by signing up here: bit.ly/4pyExyn
Any queries, please contact us at: owned-enquiries@littledotstudios.com
#Spark
