For millions of years after the Big Bang, nearly all the matter in the universe was in the form of hydrogen and helium; other elements like carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen only formed later, in nuclear reactions inside stars. To learn what the universe looked like back then, MIT astrophysicist Anna Frebel studies the oldest stars we can find—13 billion years old, to be precise—scanning them for traces of elements that will give a clue to their history. As Professor Frebel explains to Sarah Hansen in this episode, curiosity about the origins of the universe we live in is a profoundly human trait, just like curiosity about one’s own family history. To help communicate to laypeople the wonder and amazement that motivates astronomers like herself, Prof. Frebel has written a book and recorded a companion series of videos, both of which are intentionally designed to be as user-friendly as possible. It doesn’t matter, she says, if viewers and readers don’t grasp all the details; her hope is that they will develop the desire to understand more, and that that desire will spark further learning.
Relevant Resources:
MIT OpenCourseWare
The OCW Educator Portal
"Cosmic Origin of the Chemical Elements" on OCW
Professor Frebel’s book Searching for the Oldest Stars
Professor Frebel’s faculty page
Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions
Connect with Us
If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!
Call us @ 617 475-0534
On our site
On Facebook
On Twitter
On Instagram
Stay Current
Subscribe to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.
Support OCW
If you like Chalk Radio and OpenCourseware, donate to help keep those programs going!
Connect with Us
If you have a suggestion for a new episode or have used OCW to change your life or those of others, tell us your story. We’d love to hear from you!
Call us @ 617-715-2517
On our site
On Facebook
On X
On Instagram
On LinkedIn
Stay Current
Subscribe to the free monthly "MIT OpenCourseWare Update" e-newsletter.
Support OCW
If you like Chalk Radio and OpenCourseware, donate to help keep these programs going!
Credits
Sarah Hansen, host and producer
Brett Paci, producer
Dave Lishansky, producer
Show notes by Peter Chipman
Everything Here Is Sacred (Terrascope Radio Replay)
The Power of Experience with Dr. Ari Epstein
Economics and Real-World Impact with Dr. Sara Ellison and Prof. Esther Duflo
The Lumpy Universe with Prof. David Kaiser
Reimagining Cities with Prof. David Hsu
The Kitchen Cloud Chamber with Prof. Anne White
Honoring Your Native Language with Prof. Michel DeGraff
Sustainability Education Across Learning Environments with Dr. Liz Potter-Nelson and Sarah Meyers
Teaching Teachers with Dr. Summer Morrill
Communication is the Whole Game with Paige Bright & Prof. Haynes Miller
Opening Computer Science to Everyone with Chancellor Eric Grimson
Seeing Green with Drs. Sandland and Chazot
Well-being is the Goal with Prof. Frank Schilbach
The Greatest Existential Threat with Prof. Robert Redwine and Dr. Jim Walsh
Visualizing Calculus with Professor Gigliola Staffilani
Finding Expertise Everywhere with Prof. M. Amah Edoh
AI Literacy for All with Prof. Cynthia Breazeal
Making Ethical Decisions in Software Design with Prof. Daniel Jackson & Serena Booth
The Human Element in Machine Learning with Prof. Catherine D’Ignazio, Prof. Jacob Andreas & Harini Suresh
When There Isn't A Simple Answer with Prof. Dennis McLaughlin
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Real English Conversations Podcast - Learn to Speak & Understand Real English with Confidence!
» Divine Intervention Podcasts
EconTalk
Cram The Pance
The Clinical Problem Solvers