How the Universe Works: Season 3

I'm very pleased to let you know that the Science Channel astronomy documentary series How the Universe Works is back on the air. The third season began a couple of weeks ago with the episode "The Sun," which focuses on the journey of a photon, a packet of light, as it makes its way out from the core through the 700,000 kilometer deep abyss of our nearest star. The second episode is "The End of the Universe," a topic near and dear to me.

Before I go on, I have to admit to being a wee bit biased about this show: I'm on it. They interview quite a few scientists in each episode, and they've been kind enough to include me now in every season of the show. I have to admit it's a lot of fun to spend a day getting barraged by questions from the producer, answering them in my own style. The overall narrative of the show is already outlined before the interviews, but we get to answer the questions the way we want. Our answers are then woven into the storyline.

I think it's a pretty good show, which is why I've agreed to come back again on it. It doesn’t overreach, sticking with a few simple themes and explaining them. The narrative storyline is fun, and the basic concepts are gone over well enough that anyone with an interest in science and a little bit of knowledge shouldn't have too much trouble understanding the show. The graphics are stunning, and whenever I watch an episode I'm amazed at what's possible to show viewers.

It's also a kick to see old friends interviewed as well. Alex Filippenko, Hakeem Oluseyi, Michelle Thaller, Sean Carroll ... these are good people I've known a long time, and I'm really happy they still get on the air. Their joy and sense of wonder shines through, and I think that's a crucial factor that makes a TV show successful. We talk about this stuff because we study this stuff, and we study this stuff because we love this stuff.

I think you will too. How the Universe Works airs weekly on the Science Channel, Wednesdays at 9 p.m. Eastern time. Check your local listings, of course. It gets repeated fairly often, so you shouldn't have any trouble catching it.

And before you ask: When you see the segments I'm in, yes, that is my telescope in the background (a Celestron C8-SGT XLT), the same one I use to capture images of the Moon, Mars, and more. If you like the show, remember: The Universe is out there, and you can observe it too. Once you're done watching TV, step outside and look up. All those things we talk about are up there.

That's one of the many, many reasons I do, in fact, love this stuff.