Would you like to inspect the original subtitles? These are the user uploaded subtitles that are being translated:
1
00:00:00,332 --> 00:00:02,567
male narrator: In the beginning,
there was darkness,
2
00:00:02,601 --> 00:00:04,436
and then, bang,
3
00:00:04,470 --> 00:00:07,072
giving birth to an endless
expanding existence
4
00:00:07,106 --> 00:00:09,741
of time, space, and matter.
5
00:00:09,775 --> 00:00:13,411
Every day, new discoveries
are unlocking the mysterious,
6
00:00:13,445 --> 00:00:15,814
the mind-blowing,
the deadly secrets
7
00:00:15,848 --> 00:00:19,184
of a place we call
The Universe.
8
00:00:21,854 --> 00:00:24,389
ln the deep nothingness
of space,
9
00:00:24,423 --> 00:00:30,629
the cosmic silence is broken.
10
00:00:30,629 --> 00:00:35,433
- Space is actually kind of
a noisy place.
11
00:00:35,467 --> 00:00:39,838
narrator: Galaxies, stars,
planets, and moons sing out
12
00:00:39,872 --> 00:00:41,540
with strange and alien music.
13
00:00:41,573 --> 00:00:42,774
[electronic warbling]
14
00:00:42,808 --> 00:00:46,144
- They sound a little bit like
an alien fax.
15
00:00:46,178 --> 00:00:47,879
narrator:
Now the cosmic playlist
16
00:00:47,913 --> 00:00:50,015
in a top ten countdown,
17
00:00:50,049 --> 00:00:53,519
the greatest hits
of the universe...
18
00:00:53,552 --> 00:00:56,788
in a symphony of alien sounds.
19
00:01:19,244 --> 00:01:21,446
As the promo line
for Ridley Scott's
20
00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:23,215
science-fiction film _lien,
21
00:01:23,248 --> 00:01:28,419
it was designed to send chills
down your spine.
22
00:01:28,454 --> 00:01:30,689
lt's based on
the unsettling idea
23
00:01:30,722 --> 00:01:32,690
that space is a vacuum,
24
00:01:32,724 --> 00:01:36,661
and sounds, whether screams,
shouts, or songs,
25
00:01:36,695 --> 00:01:39,831
can't travel in a vacuum.
26
00:01:39,865 --> 00:01:42,634
But is that really true?
27
00:01:45,871 --> 00:01:48,139
- Well, it's kind of narrow
to think that, in space,
28
00:01:48,173 --> 00:01:51,776
you can't hear anyone scream,
because, in fact, here on Earth,
29
00:01:51,810 --> 00:01:53,478
there are lots of sounds
we can't hear.
30
00:01:53,512 --> 00:01:56,248
They're either too high a pitch
or too low a pitch.
31
00:01:56,281 --> 00:01:59,917
Moreover, space
isn't completely empty.
32
00:01:59,952 --> 00:02:02,788
And then finally, you know,
what's the definition of space?
33
00:02:02,821 --> 00:02:05,523
lf l'm an astronaut
on the surface of Mars
34
00:02:05,557 --> 00:02:08,559
and l have a spacesuit on,
am l in space, or am l not?
35
00:02:08,594 --> 00:02:10,595
Well, l would think l am.
36
00:02:10,629 --> 00:02:15,633
- Okay, let's try
right over here.
37
00:02:15,667 --> 00:02:16,901
narrator: Back on Earth,
38
00:02:16,935 --> 00:02:19,137
Bruce Betts
of The Planetary Society
39
00:02:19,171 --> 00:02:20,572
in Pasadena, California,
40
00:02:20,606 --> 00:02:22,641
has given a lot of thought
to Mars
41
00:02:22,674 --> 00:02:24,909
and the subject of sound.
42
00:02:33,252 --> 00:02:35,454
to demonstrate what his voice
would sound like
43
00:02:35,487 --> 00:02:39,257
in the cold, carbon-dioxide
atmosphere of Mars...
44
00:02:39,291 --> 00:02:44,095
without those space suits.
45
00:02:44,129 --> 00:02:47,432
- The atmosphere of Mars
would actually change your voice
46
00:02:47,466 --> 00:02:50,101
so it sounded deeper.
47
00:02:50,135 --> 00:02:53,705
So let's go ahead and simulate
that using the Marsinator,
48
00:02:53,739 --> 00:02:55,340
and l will record my voice,
49
00:02:55,374 --> 00:02:56,875
and then we will shift it
50
00:02:56,909 --> 00:02:59,111
to what it would sound like
on Mars.
51
00:02:59,144 --> 00:03:01,946
This is what
l'd sound like on Mars,
52
00:03:01,980 --> 00:03:05,683
although l'd be wishing
l had some oxygen to breathe.
53
00:03:05,717 --> 00:03:10,188
Then l go ahead and process it,
put it through the Marsinator.
54
00:03:10,222 --> 00:03:13,758
And then we play it back
and see what it sounds like.
55
00:03:13,792 --> 00:03:16,394
[deep voice] This is
how l would sound on Mars,
56
00:03:16,428 --> 00:03:20,999
although l'd be wishing l had
some oxygen to breathe.
57
00:03:21,033 --> 00:03:24,002
narrator: Of course, if humans
ever do make it to Mars,
58
00:03:24,036 --> 00:03:27,973
we will not hear their voices
through the atmosphere.
59
00:03:28,006 --> 00:03:32,176
lnstead, we'll get them
via radio waves...
60
00:03:32,211 --> 00:03:34,446
the way many
of our most important sounds
61
00:03:34,479 --> 00:03:35,913
already reach us.
62
00:03:35,948 --> 00:03:37,816
- Yes.
63
00:03:37,849 --> 00:03:40,051
- We're familiar with thinking
of sound as something
64
00:03:40,085 --> 00:03:41,686
that comes
through the air to us,
65
00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,022
just like we hear each other
when we're talking,
66
00:03:44,056 --> 00:03:46,324
but, in fact,
a lot of the sounds that we hear
67
00:03:46,358 --> 00:03:49,294
are transmitted
through electromagnetic signals.
68
00:03:49,328 --> 00:03:52,664
For example, your television
actually transmits
69
00:03:52,698 --> 00:03:56,034
a television signal into sound
that you can hear.
70
00:03:56,068 --> 00:03:59,538
- Who's our first contestant
tonight?
71
00:03:59,571 --> 00:04:01,239
narrator:
Sound in the cosmos
72
00:04:01,273 --> 00:04:04,709
will never reach us directly
across empty space,
73
00:04:04,743 --> 00:04:08,213
so radio, light,
or other electromagnetic waves
74
00:04:08,247 --> 00:04:10,282
are the inevitable carriers,
75
00:04:10,315 --> 00:04:13,117
bringing us a universe
we can hear...
76
00:04:13,151 --> 00:04:15,586
in all its variety.
77
00:04:15,621 --> 00:04:17,289
[cosmic warbling]
78
00:04:17,322 --> 00:04:19,490
- Space is actually kind of
a noisy place.
79
00:04:19,524 --> 00:04:22,226
lt has many, many sources
of noise
80
00:04:22,261 --> 00:04:23,662
that we are able to detect
81
00:04:23,695 --> 00:04:26,631
with special radio telescopes,
for example.
82
00:04:30,602 --> 00:04:32,103
narrator:
These alien sounds
83
00:04:32,137 --> 00:04:34,005
make up
an incredible collection-
84
00:04:34,039 --> 00:04:36,107
the ultimate playlist.
85
00:04:36,141 --> 00:04:39,511
We've polled our expert panel
of scientists, astronomers,
86
00:04:39,544 --> 00:04:44,115
and physicists
to rank the top ten-
87
00:04:44,149 --> 00:04:47,952
the greatest sounds
from the expanse of space...
88
00:04:47,986 --> 00:04:52,223
ending with a number one
that will surprise us all.
89
00:04:52,257 --> 00:04:55,393
And now the countdown starts.
90
00:04:55,427 --> 00:04:57,162
Coming in at number ten,
91
00:04:57,195 --> 00:05:01,032
ringing out from a distance
of 1 3 billion light-years,
92
00:05:01,066 --> 00:05:04,436
the birth cry of the universe
in a hit called
93
00:05:04,469 --> 00:05:07,004
''The Audio Afterglow
of the Big Bang.''
94
00:05:07,039 --> 00:05:11,843
[whirring]
95
00:05:11,877 --> 00:05:14,212
- It's remarkable
that the young universe
96
00:05:14,246 --> 00:05:15,747
actually made a sound,
97
00:05:15,781 --> 00:05:20,152
and the reason we know that is
that we can actually witness
98
00:05:20,185 --> 00:05:25,356
the glowing gases that were
present at that time.
99
00:05:28,660 --> 00:05:30,161
narrator: The glow
from these gases
100
00:05:30,195 --> 00:05:33,765
is known as the cosmic microwave
background radiation,
101
00:05:33,799 --> 00:05:36,801
or CMBR.
102
00:05:36,835 --> 00:05:39,470
lt is a faint trace
of microwaves
103
00:05:39,504 --> 00:05:44,742
that stretches
across every point in the sky.
104
00:05:44,776 --> 00:05:48,112
Discovered by scientists
in the mid-1 960s,
105
00:05:48,146 --> 00:05:53,584
the radiation is the afterglow
of the big bang.
106
00:05:53,618 --> 00:05:56,687
The famous blotchy satellite map
of the CMBR
107
00:05:56,722 --> 00:05:59,224
represents the cosmos
in its infancy,
108
00:05:59,257 --> 00:06:03,094
when it was only
380,OOO years old.
109
00:06:05,330 --> 00:06:07,098
- When we look at the CMBR map,
110
00:06:07,132 --> 00:06:09,434
we're essentially looking
at a voice print
111
00:06:09,468 --> 00:06:10,869
of the early universe,
112
00:06:10,902 --> 00:06:13,437
because those tiny variations
in color
113
00:06:13,472 --> 00:06:15,941
correspond to variations
in temperature,
114
00:06:15,974 --> 00:06:17,642
and those correspond
to variations
115
00:06:17,676 --> 00:06:19,611
in density and pressure.
116
00:06:19,644 --> 00:06:22,146
Well, pressure waves are just
sound waves.
117
00:06:22,180 --> 00:06:24,715
So we're seeing
little variations in pressure,
118
00:06:24,750 --> 00:06:29,988
little sound waves
in the early universe.
119
00:06:30,021 --> 00:06:32,022
narrator: To understand
the audio afterglow
120
00:06:32,057 --> 00:06:33,158
of the big bang,
121
00:06:33,191 --> 00:06:35,359
we need to know
how the early universe
122
00:06:35,394 --> 00:06:39,464
varied its pressures
to generate sound waves.
123
00:06:39,498 --> 00:06:41,766
To find out,
astronomer Mark Whittle
124
00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:43,935
and organ builder Manuel Rosales
125
00:06:43,969 --> 00:06:46,071
visit the magnificent pipe organ
126
00:06:46,104 --> 00:06:49,874
at Claremont United Church
of Christ in California.
127
00:06:56,314 --> 00:07:00,451
ln a way, the 4,OOO pipes
in this organ are comparable
128
00:07:00,485 --> 00:07:03,454
to the voice
of the early universe.
129
00:07:03,488 --> 00:07:07,592
[organ pipes droning]
130
00:07:07,626 --> 00:07:10,462
- Manuel, the amazing thing
about the early universe is that
131
00:07:10,495 --> 00:07:12,797
all its pipes
were sounding together,
132
00:07:12,831 --> 00:07:14,632
and it would be lovely
if we could just try that
133
00:07:14,666 --> 00:07:15,733
with this organ.
134
00:07:15,767 --> 00:07:17,568
So do you think
we could do that now,
135
00:07:17,602 --> 00:07:19,170
play all the notes at once?
136
00:07:19,204 --> 00:07:22,340
- Yes, let's pull out
all the stops and try it.
137
00:07:22,374 --> 00:07:24,042
- Ah, that's where
that phrase comes from.
138
00:07:24,075 --> 00:07:26,610
- Yes.
- Okay, let's go.
139
00:07:26,645 --> 00:07:34,119
[cacophonous droning]
140
00:07:34,119 --> 00:07:39,123
Very powerful, but really
hissy white noise kind of sound,
141
00:07:39,157 --> 00:07:42,760
but an even more remarkable
thing about the primordial sound
142
00:07:42,794 --> 00:07:45,296
is that, in fact,
a few particular tones
143
00:07:45,330 --> 00:07:48,399
were present and were stronger
at any given time.
144
00:07:48,433 --> 00:07:51,502
[cacophonous droning]
145
00:07:51,536 --> 00:07:54,605
[whirring]
146
00:07:54,639 --> 00:07:57,641
narrator: This is the opening
note of hit number ten,
147
00:07:57,676 --> 00:08:00,779
''The Audio Afterglow
of the Big Bang.''
148
00:08:00,812 --> 00:08:04,549
A computer sound analyzer
reveals its strong tones
149
00:08:04,583 --> 00:08:07,385
as distinct columns
on a color-coded graph.
150
00:08:07,419 --> 00:08:10,321
As hissy as the early
cosmic sound is,
151
00:08:10,355 --> 00:08:14,525
it differs
from pure white noise...
152
00:08:14,559 --> 00:08:18,896
which has no organized features
at all on the analyzer.
153
00:08:18,930 --> 00:08:22,199
[hissing]
154
00:08:22,234 --> 00:08:25,236
The sound of the audio
afterglow, on the other hand,
155
00:08:25,270 --> 00:08:27,972
comes through with a vaguely
musical quality.
156
00:08:28,006 --> 00:08:29,340
[whirring]
157
00:08:29,374 --> 00:08:32,376
[hissing]
158
00:08:32,410 --> 00:08:35,913
[whirring]
159
00:08:35,947 --> 00:08:40,418
[cacophonous droning]
160
00:08:40,452 --> 00:08:44,289
The pipes of this, or any organ,
are made of wood and metal,
161
00:08:44,322 --> 00:08:46,357
but the pipes
of the early universe
162
00:08:46,391 --> 00:08:48,459
were pits of dark matter,
163
00:08:48,493 --> 00:08:51,863
the mysterious substance
whose existence is known
164
00:08:51,897 --> 00:08:55,834
only from its gravity.
165
00:08:55,867 --> 00:08:59,604
- What drives the sound waves
is gravity.
166
00:08:59,638 --> 00:09:02,207
So, for example,
if there's a region
167
00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,775
of slightly higher density
of dark matter
168
00:09:04,809 --> 00:09:06,877
there's a gravitational force
pulling in.
169
00:09:06,912 --> 00:09:10,015
Gas that's surrounding
this region feels that pull,
170
00:09:10,048 --> 00:09:11,682
and it falls in.
171
00:09:11,716 --> 00:09:15,853
But it's gas, so it also-
as it falls in, it compresses.
172
00:09:15,887 --> 00:09:17,722
That compression acts
like a spring,
173
00:09:17,756 --> 00:09:20,125
and so it pushes the gas
back out.
174
00:09:20,158 --> 00:09:24,228
But then it overshoots
until it falls back in again.
175
00:09:24,262 --> 00:09:27,932
This is how the motion of
the gas falls in, bounces out,
176
00:09:27,966 --> 00:09:29,434
falls in, bounces out.
177
00:09:29,467 --> 00:09:33,537
So we have an oscillating
pressure wave, a sound wave.
178
00:09:37,475 --> 00:09:39,310
narrator: The cosmic
background radiation,
179
00:09:39,344 --> 00:09:43,147
as important as it is,
is just a still picture.
180
00:09:43,181 --> 00:09:45,316
lts imprint of sound
has the effect
181
00:09:45,350 --> 00:09:50,855
of no more than one noisy,
barely musical note.
182
00:09:50,889 --> 00:09:54,058
And even hearing that
is a struggle.
183
00:09:54,092 --> 00:09:56,394
The pipe organ
helps show us why.
184
00:09:56,428 --> 00:09:59,430
P P
185
00:09:59,464 --> 00:10:02,633
- The sounds of the universe
are way too low for us to hear.
186
00:10:02,667 --> 00:10:06,604
ln fact, what's the lowest note
that this organ plays?
187
00:10:06,638 --> 00:10:08,606
- It is a pipe 32 feet long,
188
00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:12,110
and it can only be played
with one's foot.
189
00:10:12,143 --> 00:10:14,845
[deep note plays]
190
00:10:14,879 --> 00:10:17,514
- Yeah, that's pretty deep.
191
00:10:17,549 --> 00:10:20,318
32 feet were nothing compared
to the cosmic organ pipes.
192
00:10:20,352 --> 00:10:26,191
They were between 20,OOO
and 400,OOO light-years across.
193
00:10:26,224 --> 00:10:28,659
- Sorry, we don't have
any pipes quite that long.
194
00:10:28,693 --> 00:10:30,428
- No.
195
00:10:33,365 --> 00:10:36,901
narrator: The deep sound
of the early universe is so low,
196
00:10:36,935 --> 00:10:40,972
we can hear it only after
a massive shift upward.
197
00:10:41,006 --> 00:10:44,008
[tone zooming higher]
198
00:10:49,247 --> 00:10:51,515
The background radiation
of the universe
199
00:10:51,549 --> 00:10:56,120
dates from 380,OOO years
after its creation.
200
00:10:56,154 --> 00:10:58,923
But what happened before that?
201
00:10:58,957 --> 00:11:02,960
ls it possible to uncover
the whole song of the universe
202
00:11:02,994 --> 00:11:06,897
from the very instant
of the big bang?
203
00:11:14,606 --> 00:11:18,676
The cosmos is filled with
a symphony of alien sounds,
204
00:11:18,710 --> 00:11:20,845
and we're counting down
the top ten
205
00:11:20,879 --> 00:11:23,815
of the universe's greatest hits.
206
00:11:23,848 --> 00:11:26,283
Number ten on the playlist
sings out
207
00:11:26,317 --> 00:11:28,485
with the earliest tones
of the universe
208
00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:32,357
from ''The Audio Afterglow
of the Big Bang.''
209
00:11:32,390 --> 00:11:36,660
[whirring]
210
00:11:36,695 --> 00:11:39,297
But our download
of the universe's birth song
211
00:11:39,330 --> 00:11:41,965
has some problems.
212
00:11:42,000 --> 00:11:45,470
With the cosmic organ playing
all its pipes at once,
213
00:11:45,503 --> 00:11:47,304
what reaches our ears
sounds like
214
00:11:47,338 --> 00:11:50,674
only one complex, noisy note.
215
00:11:50,709 --> 00:11:52,677
[whirring]
216
00:11:52,711 --> 00:11:56,114
lt's only one note because it
comes from the pressure waves
217
00:11:56,147 --> 00:11:59,783
we read from the map of
the cosmic background radiation,
218
00:11:59,818 --> 00:12:02,787
which is just a still picture of
the sound in the early universe
219
00:12:02,821 --> 00:12:07,625
taken 380,OOO years
after its birth.
220
00:12:07,659 --> 00:12:10,061
How then do we run
the clock backwards
221
00:12:10,095 --> 00:12:13,031
and hear the rest of the song?
222
00:12:13,064 --> 00:12:15,332
- Modern cosmology
is sufficiently advanced
223
00:12:15,366 --> 00:12:18,602
that it's possible to create
a computer replication,
224
00:12:18,636 --> 00:12:21,171
a simulation
of the young universe.
225
00:12:21,206 --> 00:12:25,109
lt's possible to re-create
within a computer
226
00:12:25,143 --> 00:12:27,678
what's going on
and how the sound developed
227
00:12:27,712 --> 00:12:29,213
right from the very,
very beginning
228
00:12:29,247 --> 00:12:33,684
through those
first 400,OOO years.
229
00:12:33,718 --> 00:12:36,587
narrator: They are the same kind
of supercomputer simulations
230
00:12:36,621 --> 00:12:38,222
that have given us pictures
231
00:12:38,256 --> 00:12:41,359
showing how the early universe
evolved.
232
00:12:45,163 --> 00:12:47,732
The dark-matter pipes
of the early universe
233
00:12:47,766 --> 00:12:51,236
acted like those
in the church organ.
234
00:12:51,269 --> 00:12:56,040
As bigger pipes were played,
deeper notes were sounded.
235
00:12:56,074 --> 00:12:57,909
As the universe expanded,
236
00:12:57,942 --> 00:13:02,313
there was more space
and more time.
237
00:13:02,347 --> 00:13:04,315
More space meant bigger pipes.
238
00:13:04,349 --> 00:13:06,984
So the notes in the song
got lower and lower
239
00:13:07,018 --> 00:13:08,986
as the song played out.
240
00:13:09,020 --> 00:13:11,889
[deep whirring, creaking]
241
00:13:16,294 --> 00:13:17,728
Put it all together,
242
00:13:17,762 --> 00:13:20,297
and the first 400,OOO years
of the universe
243
00:13:20,331 --> 00:13:24,301
can be condensed down
to just ten seconds-
244
00:13:24,335 --> 00:13:27,204
a haunting primal scream.
245
00:13:27,238 --> 00:13:30,240
[whirring]
246
00:13:38,516 --> 00:13:40,584
- The gas that's falling in
and out
247
00:13:40,618 --> 00:13:42,686
of these dark-matter regions
248
00:13:42,720 --> 00:13:46,256
is ultimately going to become
the first stars,
249
00:13:46,291 --> 00:13:48,092
the first galaxies,
and ultimately,
250
00:13:48,126 --> 00:13:50,728
it'll be corralled
into the thousands of galaxies
251
00:13:50,762 --> 00:13:54,665
that we see around us today.
252
00:13:54,699 --> 00:13:59,603
So while it's been amusing,
really, and playful
253
00:13:59,637 --> 00:14:02,406
to reproduce these sounds
for us to listen to,
254
00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:06,210
in the big picture, they play
an enormously important role
255
00:14:06,244 --> 00:14:08,379
in crafting the structure
of the universe
256
00:14:08,413 --> 00:14:09,981
that's going to unfold
and the universe
257
00:14:10,014 --> 00:14:11,949
that we find ourselves in today.
258
00:14:11,983 --> 00:14:14,985
[whirring]
259
00:14:19,958 --> 00:14:22,493
narrator: From the big-band
sound of the big bang,
260
00:14:22,527 --> 00:14:25,429
our countdown
takes a step down in size
261
00:14:25,463 --> 00:14:28,098
to the modest
1 5-million-light-year span
262
00:14:28,132 --> 00:14:31,502
of a galaxy cluster.
263
00:14:31,536 --> 00:14:33,671
Coming in at number nine
on our list
264
00:14:33,705 --> 00:14:36,607
of the universe's
top ten hits
265
00:14:36,641 --> 00:14:39,710
is the ''Deep Tone of Perseus.''
266
00:14:39,744 --> 00:14:42,746
[deep warbling]
267
00:14:45,884 --> 00:14:48,653
This is low sound
to the extreme,
268
00:14:48,686 --> 00:14:50,788
emanating
from the Perseus cluster
269
00:14:50,822 --> 00:14:53,958
a g ro u p i n g
of roug h ly 1 ,OOO galaxies
270
00:14:53,992 --> 00:14:58,563
250 million light-years
from Earth.
271
00:14:58,596 --> 00:15:00,898
- The central galaxy
in this cluster of galaxies
272
00:15:00,932 --> 00:15:03,934
has a huge super-massive
black hole at its center.
273
00:15:03,968 --> 00:15:08,505
narrator: The cluster's central
galaxy is called Perseus A,
274
00:15:08,539 --> 00:15:11,808
and its super-massive black hole
gives it what's called
275
00:15:11,843 --> 00:15:14,245
an active galactic nucleus,
276
00:15:14,279 --> 00:15:17,915
which shoots out energy
in the form of gigantic jets,
277
00:15:17,949 --> 00:15:21,485
tearing
into the surrounding space.
278
00:15:21,519 --> 00:15:23,988
- For reasons which we don't
fully understand,
279
00:15:24,022 --> 00:15:25,957
it seems to be coming out.
280
00:15:25,990 --> 00:15:28,625
The energy is being produced
episodically
281
00:15:28,660 --> 00:15:31,829
about every 10 million years or so.
282
00:15:31,863 --> 00:15:35,967
narrator: Those energy pulses
are actually waves of pressure.
283
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,403
And that's exactly
what sound waves are:
284
00:15:39,437 --> 00:15:41,539
preSSUre WaVeS.
285
00:15:43,741 --> 00:15:47,144
The wave, as demonstrated
by sports fans,
286
00:15:47,178 --> 00:15:50,581
has an up-and-down motion
that's very familiar to us.
287
00:15:50,615 --> 00:15:53,284
But these UC Berkeley students
will switch gears
288
00:15:53,318 --> 00:15:55,753
and show us how a sound wave
is different.
289
00:15:55,787 --> 00:15:59,590
- Okay, everyone,
Iose the pom-poms!
290
00:15:59,624 --> 00:16:01,993
Since sound waves
are pressure waves,
291
00:16:02,026 --> 00:16:04,928
we're gonna build a pressure
wave out of all these students.
292
00:16:04,963 --> 00:16:07,098
Okay, everybody, let's line up.
293
00:16:07,131 --> 00:16:09,066
You go over here
and then shoulder-to-shoulder
294
00:16:09,100 --> 00:16:10,334
just like this.
295
00:16:10,368 --> 00:16:13,204
Stretch out over there
a little bit, no gaps.
296
00:16:13,237 --> 00:16:15,572
You're gonna be students
colliding with each other
297
00:16:15,606 --> 00:16:19,776
like molecules colliding
in a sound wave.
298
00:16:19,811 --> 00:16:21,712
That's looking a lot better.
299
00:16:21,746 --> 00:16:23,414
Do you feel like a bunch
of molecules?
300
00:16:23,448 --> 00:16:24,582
all: Yeah!
301
00:16:24,615 --> 00:16:26,583
- Okay, okay,
this is looking good.
302
00:16:26,617 --> 00:16:28,518
We have a bass drum
at each end of the line.
303
00:16:28,553 --> 00:16:29,987
You'll see why in a minute.
304
00:16:30,021 --> 00:16:32,623
We'll get things going
with this drummer over here.
305
00:16:32,657 --> 00:16:36,127
He's gonna hit the drum,
and watch what happens.
306
00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:37,528
bang!
307
00:16:37,562 --> 00:16:40,298
ln this case, the pressure is
a good healthy shove,
308
00:16:40,331 --> 00:16:42,066
and it moves
from student to student
309
00:16:42,100 --> 00:16:43,734
all the way down the line.
310
00:16:43,768 --> 00:16:46,704
At the end, the last student
applies his pressure
311
00:16:46,738 --> 00:16:48,706
to the second drum
by banging on it.
312
00:16:48,740 --> 00:16:51,342
bang!
313
00:16:51,376 --> 00:16:53,344
This second drum is like
our eardrum.
314
00:16:53,378 --> 00:16:57,081
When pressure from a sound wave
in the air hits our eardrums,
315
00:16:57,115 --> 00:16:58,282
we hear the sound.
316
00:16:58,316 --> 00:17:00,985
This is just how sound travels
through the air,
317
00:17:01,019 --> 00:17:03,855
except instead of having
students shoving each other,
318
00:17:03,888 --> 00:17:06,156
there are air molecules
shoving each other.
319
00:17:06,190 --> 00:17:10,193
A sound needs a medium
to travel through.
320
00:17:10,228 --> 00:17:12,430
lt can't travel
through a vacuum.
321
00:17:12,463 --> 00:17:14,865
So, in fact, to get
from point A to point B,
322
00:17:14,899 --> 00:17:17,501
you need air molecules
hitting each other.
323
00:17:17,535 --> 00:17:20,204
That's how it works.
324
00:17:23,207 --> 00:17:25,175
narrator: So how do
those pressure waves
325
00:17:25,209 --> 00:17:27,744
from number nine's
''Deep Tones of Perseus''
326
00:17:27,779 --> 00:17:29,680
travel through
what's essentially
327
00:17:29,714 --> 00:17:34,085
the vacuum
of intergalactic space?
328
00:17:34,118 --> 00:17:37,588
Astrophysicist Richard Pogge
of Ohio State University
329
00:17:37,622 --> 00:17:40,324
g ives u s a se n se
of the em pti ness i n deep space
330
00:17:40,358 --> 00:17:44,929
at his school's
football stadium.
331
00:17:44,962 --> 00:17:46,863
- While it's true
that sound waves can't travel
332
00:17:46,898 --> 00:17:49,467
through the vacuum of space,
space is not a complete vacuum.
333
00:17:49,500 --> 00:17:51,902
l'm here at Ohio Stadium,
home of the Buckeyes.
334
00:17:51,936 --> 00:17:54,138
lt's very empty today.
l'm the only one here.
335
00:17:54,172 --> 00:17:55,506
And l can't think
of a better place
336
00:17:55,540 --> 00:17:58,142
to illustrate
the vacuum of space.
337
00:17:58,176 --> 00:18:00,244
narrator: The empty stadium
can be a stand-in
338
00:18:00,278 --> 00:18:01,946
for the vacuum of space
339
00:18:01,979 --> 00:18:06,683
if we compare it with what
it looks like on game day.
340
00:18:06,717 --> 00:18:09,619
[crowd cheering]
341
00:18:09,654 --> 00:18:13,157
With more than 1 02,OOO people
in its seats,
342
00:18:13,191 --> 00:18:16,594
Ohio Stadium would be like
the atmosphere on Earth
343
00:18:16,627 --> 00:18:20,764
jam-packed with air molecules.
344
00:18:20,798 --> 00:18:23,200
- So how much do we have to
clear out this stadium
345
00:18:23,234 --> 00:18:25,002
to equal the vacuum of space?
346
00:18:25,036 --> 00:18:27,104
Believe it or not,
you have to clear out everybody,
347
00:18:27,138 --> 00:18:30,407
including me,
and then even l'm too much.
348
00:18:30,441 --> 00:18:32,976
narrator: No more than
a single cell from Pogge's body
349
00:18:33,010 --> 00:18:34,745
could remain in Ohio Stadium
350
00:18:34,779 --> 00:18:39,250
to come close to the vacuum
of deep space.
351
00:18:39,283 --> 00:18:42,119
With what seems like almost
nothing in the expanse
352
00:18:42,153 --> 00:18:45,356
between galaxies
of the Perseus cluster
353
00:18:45,389 --> 00:18:50,627
the existence of sound waves
seems all the more incredible.
354
00:18:50,661 --> 00:18:52,796
- How do you propagate
a sound wave through empty space
355
00:18:52,830 --> 00:18:54,131
when it's mostly empty?
356
00:18:54,165 --> 00:18:56,333
Let's use the example of me
running down the field.
357
00:18:56,367 --> 00:18:58,836
l have to run a long ways
before l encounter somebody,
358
00:18:58,870 --> 00:19:00,238
but l still encounter somebody,
359
00:19:00,271 --> 00:19:02,906
and l can pass energy
along to them.
360
00:19:02,940 --> 00:19:05,142
The same is true of atoms
in interstellar space.
361
00:19:05,176 --> 00:19:08,078
lt has to travel a long ways,
maybe 300 light-years,
362
00:19:08,112 --> 00:19:09,713
before it encounters
another particle,
363
00:19:09,747 --> 00:19:11,715
but when it encounters it,
it passes the energy,
364
00:19:11,749 --> 00:19:15,686
and the wave moves along.
365
00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,055
narrator: The colliding
particles in the Perseus cluster
366
00:19:18,089 --> 00:19:21,659
also emit faint X-rays
whose traces,
367
00:19:21,692 --> 00:19:24,027
imaged by the Chandra
space telescope,
368
00:19:24,061 --> 00:19:26,296
tell us the waves are there.
369
00:19:26,330 --> 00:19:28,165
But these waves are huge,
370
00:19:28,199 --> 00:19:30,000
and the notes they produce
are lower
371
00:19:30,034 --> 00:19:35,639
than anything any human
has ever experienced.
372
00:19:35,673 --> 00:19:40,110
- The pitch is about 57 octaves
below our hearing,
373
00:19:40,144 --> 00:19:42,246
below the middle
of a piano range,
374
00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,116
and that actually qualifies this
_or the Guinness Book of Records
375
00:19:45,149 --> 00:19:48,118
as the deepest pitch
known to man.
376
00:19:48,152 --> 00:19:50,287
[deep pulsing]
377
00:19:50,321 --> 00:19:52,990
narrator: The extreme deep note
emanating from Perseus
378
00:19:53,024 --> 00:19:55,292
is so far below
our hearing range
379
00:19:55,326 --> 00:19:57,761
that it can only be
approximated.
380
00:19:57,795 --> 00:20:00,130
lt's been said
the galaxy cluster is playing
381
00:20:00,164 --> 00:20:02,332
an awesomely low B-flat,
382
00:20:02,366 --> 00:20:05,569
and scientists calculate
it'll be playing constantly
383
00:20:05,603 --> 00:20:09,106
for 2 1/2 billion years.
384
00:20:12,677 --> 00:20:14,845
Number nine's
''Deep Tone of Perseus''
385
00:20:14,879 --> 00:20:17,881
drones on,
as the countdown advances.
386
00:20:17,915 --> 00:20:21,151
A secret number one waits
at the end of the line,
387
00:20:21,185 --> 00:20:22,653
but first...
388
00:20:22,687 --> 00:20:24,855
[high-pitched squeal]
389
00:20:24,889 --> 00:20:26,957
A strange, high-pitched squeal
390
00:20:26,991 --> 00:20:29,493
hints at what comes in
at number eight...
391
00:20:29,527 --> 00:20:32,997
sounds from space and their link
to signals from...
392
00:20:33,030 --> 00:20:35,232
extraterrestrials.
393
00:20:40,404 --> 00:20:42,038
Starting with the big bang,
394
00:20:42,073 --> 00:20:43,507
we've been tracking the top ten
395
00:20:43,541 --> 00:20:46,310
of the universe's
greatest hits-
396
00:20:46,344 --> 00:20:51,348
the best of the alien sounds
from space.
397
00:20:51,382 --> 00:20:54,618
Jumping to number eight
on the countdown,
398
00:20:54,652 --> 00:20:58,489
we find a sudden wide variety
of different sounds-
399
00:20:58,522 --> 00:21:03,760
clicks, whines, and screeches-
400
00:21:03,794 --> 00:21:05,829
all coming from strange stars
401
00:21:05,863 --> 00:21:10,534
singing out from everywhere
we look in the galaxy.
402
00:21:10,568 --> 00:21:13,137
They're cosmic squeals
with a rhythm section
403
00:21:13,170 --> 00:21:17,140
in the ''Beat of the Pulsars.''
404
00:21:17,174 --> 00:21:19,609
Every pulsar has
a different sound,
405
00:21:19,644 --> 00:21:21,178
but they are all related,
406
00:21:21,212 --> 00:21:23,147
because they're repeating blips,
407
00:21:23,180 --> 00:21:26,349
beating out regular rhythms.
408
00:21:26,384 --> 00:21:28,319
The different sounds come
from beats
409
00:21:28,352 --> 00:21:30,520
sounding out
at different speeds.
410
00:21:30,554 --> 00:21:34,658
[buzzing]
411
00:21:34,692 --> 00:21:38,929
The first pulsars to be detected
emitted radio waves so regular
412
00:21:38,963 --> 00:21:43,434
that astronomers first thought
they were signals from aliens.
413
00:21:43,467 --> 00:21:47,737
But the truth about them was
quickly discovered.
414
00:21:47,772 --> 00:21:50,541
- A pulsar is a rapidly rotating
neutron star.
415
00:21:50,574 --> 00:21:52,042
That's a very dense star.
416
00:21:52,076 --> 00:21:54,878
And it's got two beams of
radiation coming out the poles.
417
00:21:54,912 --> 00:21:59,449
As those beams rotate
and intersect our line of sight,
418
00:21:59,483 --> 00:22:01,484
we see a series of pulses.
419
00:22:01,519 --> 00:22:04,788
[clicking]
420
00:22:04,822 --> 00:22:07,891
We can think of pulsars being
associated with sound,
421
00:22:07,925 --> 00:22:09,626
because they were
first discovered
422
00:22:09,660 --> 00:22:11,495
with radio telescopes.
423
00:22:11,529 --> 00:22:16,600
There was a series of beeps
that radio telescopes detected.
424
00:22:16,634 --> 00:22:19,570
For a slowly rotating pulsar,
425
00:22:19,603 --> 00:22:22,439
you might have a series of beats
like a metronome-
426
00:22:22,473 --> 00:22:25,008
beep, beep, beep, beep.
427
00:22:25,042 --> 00:22:29,546
[metronomic clicking]
428
00:22:29,580 --> 00:22:31,915
Or you might hear
a beep-beep, beep-beep,
429
00:22:31,949 --> 00:22:33,016
beep-beep, beep-beep.
430
00:22:33,050 --> 00:22:36,219
[rapid clicking]
431
00:22:36,253 --> 00:22:38,054
[buzzing]
432
00:22:38,089 --> 00:22:39,757
Now, for a rapidly
rotating pulsar,
433
00:22:39,790 --> 00:22:41,458
the beeps blur together,
so you got...
434
00:22:41,492 --> 00:22:42,926
[trilling tongue]
Like that.
435
00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,564
[buzzing]
436
00:22:47,598 --> 00:22:48,966
[high-pitched buzzing]
437
00:22:48,999 --> 00:22:50,934
And for a very rapidly
rotating pulsar,
438
00:22:50,968 --> 00:22:52,602
it's just a continuous sound
439
00:22:52,636 --> 00:22:54,871
that registers like a note
in your ears.
440
00:22:54,905 --> 00:22:57,907
[high-pitched buzzing]
441
00:23:00,111 --> 00:23:02,813
narrator: Pulsars form
from the collapse
442
00:23:02,847 --> 00:23:04,481
of very massive stars
443
00:23:04,515 --> 00:23:10,120
after they explode
as supernovas.
444
00:23:10,154 --> 00:23:12,222
But how long
does it actually take
445
00:23:12,256 --> 00:23:14,958
for a massive star to collapse?
446
00:23:14,992 --> 00:23:20,530
That's what Sherman D.
of Tampa, Florida, wanted to...
447
00:23:20,564 --> 00:23:23,533
when he texted
his question to us.
448
00:23:23,567 --> 00:23:26,269
- Sherman, the visible effects
of a supernova can last
449
00:23:26,303 --> 00:23:28,638
for months or years
or even centuries
450
00:23:28,672 --> 00:23:30,640
if you're looking
at the supernova remnant-
451
00:23:30,674 --> 00:23:32,809
the expanding gases.
452
00:23:32,843 --> 00:23:34,844
But although
it may seem incredible,
453
00:23:34,879 --> 00:23:37,615
the collapse of the core
of a massive star
454
00:23:37,648 --> 00:23:39,783
can take just a second or two,
455
00:23:39,817 --> 00:23:43,520
and that's what initiates
the supernova explosion.
456
00:23:46,223 --> 00:23:49,693
narrator: Our own Sun isn't
massive enough to go supernova,
457
00:23:49,727 --> 00:23:52,162
but it is a giant ball
of hydrogen
458
00:23:52,196 --> 00:23:55,666
330,OOO times more massive
than the Earth
459
00:23:55,699 --> 00:23:58,001
and burning by nuclear fusion.
460
00:23:58,035 --> 00:24:00,737
So our home star
can hardly keep quiet,
461
00:24:00,771 --> 00:24:03,440
as our next hit proves.
462
00:24:03,474 --> 00:24:08,545
This hot combo chimes in at
number seven on the countdown.
463
00:24:08,579 --> 00:24:13,684
Here it is,
the ''Song of the Sun.''
464
00:24:13,717 --> 00:24:14,951
- The Sun makes sounds,
465
00:24:14,985 --> 00:24:16,453
but they're not really
sunny sounds.
466
00:24:16,487 --> 00:24:17,855
They're not happy sounds.
467
00:24:17,888 --> 00:24:22,492
They're kind of low, ominous
roars that gurgle along.
468
00:24:22,526 --> 00:24:27,397
[low humming]
469
00:24:27,431 --> 00:24:30,066
The Sun makes sounds because
there are a bunch of gases
470
00:24:30,100 --> 00:24:33,203
going up and down through
a process called convection.
471
00:24:33,237 --> 00:24:34,771
So they're sending
pressure waves
472
00:24:34,805 --> 00:24:37,574
through the ball of gas
that is the Sun,
473
00:24:37,608 --> 00:24:39,576
and it kind of rings
like a bell.
474
00:24:39,610 --> 00:24:44,181
[low humming]
475
00:24:44,215 --> 00:24:46,684
I
narrator: Unlike a bell the Sun rings
476
00:24:46,717 --> 00:24:50,220
with 1 O million different tones
at once.
477
00:24:50,254 --> 00:24:52,255
We detect them
from the tiny bulges
478
00:24:52,289 --> 00:24:57,560
from the pressure waves
on the Sun's surface.
479
00:24:57,595 --> 00:25:01,398
Solar satellites measure
the height of the bulges
480
00:25:01,432 --> 00:25:03,700
with exquisite accuracy.
481
00:25:03,734 --> 00:25:09,139
Apart from sound,
they also produce science.
482
00:25:09,173 --> 00:25:12,209
- So using these sounds from
the Sun that we can observe,
483
00:25:12,243 --> 00:25:15,012
we can actually tell
very detailed things
484
00:25:15,045 --> 00:25:17,480
about the interior structure
of our star.
485
00:25:17,515 --> 00:25:20,651
For example, one of the amazing
things that we can tell
486
00:25:20,684 --> 00:25:23,953
is when there's a sun spot group
on the other side of the star
487
00:25:23,988 --> 00:25:25,923
even before it comes
around the limb
488
00:25:25,956 --> 00:25:31,461
and we're able to see it
with our optical telescopes.
489
00:25:31,495 --> 00:25:33,930
narrator: The Sun may be
the biggest source for sound
490
00:25:33,964 --> 00:25:35,598
in the solar system.
491
00:25:35,633 --> 00:25:39,236
But next in line is Jupiter.
492
00:25:39,270 --> 00:25:43,374
So coming in at number six
in the top ten is a medley
493
00:25:43,407 --> 00:25:47,043
of strange electronic
''Jazz from Jupiter.''
494
00:25:47,077 --> 00:25:51,981
[whistling static]
495
00:25:52,016 --> 00:25:54,051
''Jazz from Jupiter'' comes to us
496
00:25:54,084 --> 00:25:57,387
courtesy of the two legendary
Voyager spacecraft,
497
00:25:57,421 --> 00:26:02,993
now on their epic journey
to the edge of the solar system.
498
00:26:03,027 --> 00:26:04,628
- The two Voyager spacecraft
499
00:26:04,662 --> 00:26:06,330
are headed
for interstellar space.
500
00:26:06,363 --> 00:26:07,764
They're on the very outer edges
501
00:26:07,798 --> 00:26:10,000
of the bubble the Sun creates
around itself.
502
00:26:10,034 --> 00:26:13,904
Today Voyager 1 is 1 18 times
as far from the Sun
503
00:26:13,938 --> 00:26:15,239
as the Earth is,
504
00:26:15,272 --> 00:26:20,844
almost four times as far
from the Sun as Neptune is.
505
00:26:20,878 --> 00:26:23,313
narrator: Project scientist
Ed Stone has been heading
506
00:26:23,347 --> 00:26:25,582
the Voyager mission
since its two spacecraft
507
00:26:25,616 --> 00:26:27,851
made their grand tour
of the outer planets
508
00:26:27,885 --> 00:26:30,354
beginning in 1979.
509
00:26:34,091 --> 00:26:36,126
On their approach to Jupiter,
510
00:26:36,160 --> 00:26:38,228
the first thing
each one encountered
511
00:26:38,262 --> 00:26:41,465
was the giant planet's
bow shock,
512
00:26:41,498 --> 00:26:45,735
producing a wind-like sound
from the electronic data.
513
00:26:45,769 --> 00:26:50,540
[wind rushing]
514
00:26:50,574 --> 00:26:52,575
- There's a wind blowing
outward from the Sun
515
00:26:52,610 --> 00:26:54,011
at about a million miles
per hour.
516
00:26:54,044 --> 00:26:55,445
lt is supersonic.
517
00:26:55,479 --> 00:26:58,782
As that wind approaches contact
with a magnetic field
518
00:26:58,816 --> 00:27:02,419
around, say, Jupiter,
it has to go subsonic.
519
00:27:02,453 --> 00:27:04,788
There is a sonic shock
which forms
520
00:27:04,822 --> 00:27:07,591
in front of the magnetic field
of Jupiter.
521
00:27:07,625 --> 00:27:08,993
That's called the bow shock.
522
00:27:09,026 --> 00:27:11,128
lt's very much like
a sonic shock
523
00:27:11,161 --> 00:27:12,829
in front
of a supersonic aircraft.
524
00:27:12,863 --> 00:27:16,533
[wind rushing]
525
00:27:16,567 --> 00:27:18,468
narrator: More intriguing
than the bow shock
526
00:27:18,502 --> 00:27:20,370
is the Jovian chorus,
527
00:27:20,404 --> 00:27:22,773
sounding something like
the chorus of birds
528
00:27:22,806 --> 00:27:24,140
chirping at dawn.
529
00:27:24,174 --> 00:27:27,176
[high-pitched chirping]
530
00:27:30,714 --> 00:27:33,750
Both it and the bow shock
come from radio waves
531
00:27:33,784 --> 00:27:36,987
generated by
fast-moving charged particles
532
00:27:37,021 --> 00:27:40,157
within the bubble
of Jupiter's magnetic field.
533
00:27:40,190 --> 00:27:43,126
[wind rushing]
534
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:45,695
[high-pitched chirping]
535
00:27:45,729 --> 00:27:48,898
Now, the scramble toward
the mysterious number one
536
00:27:48,932 --> 00:27:52,335
in the top ten
swings to the moons of Jupiter
537
00:27:52,369 --> 00:27:54,404
and the rings of Saturn,
538
00:27:54,438 --> 00:27:56,673
where the noises
from electric loops,
539
00:27:56,707 --> 00:27:59,543
glowing gases,
and streams of wind
540
00:27:59,576 --> 00:28:02,512
vie for distinction
as the spookiest sounds
541
00:28:02,546 --> 00:28:04,414
in the solar system.
542
00:28:04,448 --> 00:28:06,983
[eerie buzzing]
543
00:28:10,054 --> 00:28:11,522
The top ten countdown
544
00:28:11,555 --> 00:28:13,356
in the alien sounds
of the universe
545
00:28:13,390 --> 00:28:15,291
has reached Jupiter,
546
00:28:15,325 --> 00:28:20,196
sending out its own brand
of space music.
547
00:28:20,230 --> 00:28:22,298
But the next hit is no solo.
548
00:28:22,332 --> 00:28:25,668
Jupiter has a backup group.
549
00:28:25,703 --> 00:28:29,139
They're the Jovian moons
circling the giant planet.
550
00:28:29,173 --> 00:28:32,109
And now they have
their own album.
551
00:28:32,142 --> 00:28:35,078
lt places at number five
in the top ten,
552
00:28:35,112 --> 00:28:40,016
and the tune is called
''Moons Over Jupiter.''
553
00:28:40,050 --> 00:28:42,852
[electronic warbling]
554
00:28:42,886 --> 00:28:45,488
The lead singer
is the moon Ganymede,
555
00:28:45,522 --> 00:28:48,057
recorded by
the Galileo spacecraft,
556
00:28:48,092 --> 00:28:52,529
arriving at Jupiter
in late 1 995.
557
00:28:52,563 --> 00:28:54,765
- The sounds that Galileo
sent back
558
00:28:54,798 --> 00:28:56,332
from Jupiter's moon Ganymede-
559
00:28:56,366 --> 00:28:58,601
by the way, the largest moon
in the solar system-
560
00:28:58,635 --> 00:29:00,069
are very intriguing.
561
00:29:00,104 --> 00:29:02,940
They sound a little bit like
an alien fax.
562
00:29:02,973 --> 00:29:04,040
[electronic warbling]
563
00:29:04,074 --> 00:29:05,975
ln fact, when l played
that sound clip
564
00:29:06,009 --> 00:29:07,477
in my office yesterday,
565
00:29:07,511 --> 00:29:09,980
people came around the corners
to see what was going on,
566
00:29:10,013 --> 00:29:12,248
if l was receiving
some alien transmission.
567
00:29:12,282 --> 00:29:15,618
[electronic warbling]
568
00:29:15,652 --> 00:29:17,186
narrator:
As with Voyager,
569
00:29:17,221 --> 00:29:22,926
Galileo's sounds came
from ionized gas, or plasma.
570
00:29:22,926 --> 00:29:26,896
Atoms in a plasma are split
apart into negative electrons
571
00:29:26,930 --> 00:29:29,465
and positive atomic nuclei,
572
00:29:29,500 --> 00:29:34,171
in other words,
charged particles.
573
00:29:34,204 --> 00:29:35,805
Two slender antennas
574
00:29:35,839 --> 00:29:38,441
on the spacecraft's
plasma wave instrument
575
00:29:38,475 --> 00:29:39,742
picked up the radio waves
576
00:29:39,777 --> 00:29:41,478
that the charged particles
produced
577
00:29:41,512 --> 00:29:44,715
as they were set in motion
by a magnetic field.
578
00:29:44,748 --> 00:29:48,918
[electronic warbling]
579
00:29:48,952 --> 00:29:52,522
- These sounds that we hear
from Ganymede are the evidence
580
00:29:52,556 --> 00:29:55,025
that Ganymede actually has
a magnetic field,
581
00:29:55,058 --> 00:29:56,993
and you cannot find
that information
582
00:29:57,027 --> 00:29:58,795
without using
the plasma-wave instrument,
583
00:29:58,829 --> 00:30:00,363
as we did on Galileo.
584
00:30:00,397 --> 00:30:02,899
[electronic warbling]
585
00:30:05,068 --> 00:30:07,804
narrator: A very sudden burst
of alien sound
586
00:30:07,838 --> 00:30:11,441
came from another
of Jupiter's moons.
587
00:30:11,475 --> 00:30:15,712
lt happened when Galileo flew
over lo's north pole.
588
00:30:15,746 --> 00:30:21,184
[static thundering]
589
00:30:21,218 --> 00:30:22,719
- My favorite moon
in the solar system
590
00:30:22,753 --> 00:30:24,187
is Jupiter's moon lo.
591
00:30:24,221 --> 00:30:26,089
lt looks a lot like a pizza.
592
00:30:26,123 --> 00:30:28,959
This is the most
volcanically active moon
593
00:30:28,992 --> 00:30:30,426
in the entire solar system,
594
00:30:30,460 --> 00:30:32,128
10 or 100 times
more volcanically active
595
00:30:32,162 --> 00:30:33,162
than the Earth.
596
00:30:33,197 --> 00:30:35,899
lt literally spews tons
of material
597
00:30:35,933 --> 00:30:37,434
into space every second-
598
00:30:37,467 --> 00:30:39,669
sulfur and oxygen atoms.
599
00:30:39,703 --> 00:30:42,872
These get ionized
in Jupiter's magnetic field
600
00:30:42,906 --> 00:30:45,241
and actually connect back
to Jupiter,
601
00:30:45,275 --> 00:30:49,712
to the north and south poles,
making a doughnut.
602
00:30:49,746 --> 00:30:52,548
narrator: The doughnut is called
the lo flux tube,
603
00:30:52,583 --> 00:30:55,852
and the charged particles carry
a monster electric current
604
00:30:55,886 --> 00:30:59,789
between Jupiter
and its volcanic moon.
605
00:30:59,823 --> 00:31:01,858
As Galileo flew through it...
606
00:31:01,892 --> 00:31:03,026
[static thundering]
607
00:31:03,060 --> 00:31:05,729
The sound ended as abruptly
as it started.
608
00:31:05,762 --> 00:31:08,931
[static continues]
609
00:31:08,966 --> 00:31:11,134
[static stops]
610
00:31:15,372 --> 00:31:19,209
With Jupiter and its moons
finishing their acts,
611
00:31:19,243 --> 00:31:21,678
our countdown swings to Saturn,
612
00:31:21,712 --> 00:31:25,415
smaller than Jupiter but right
up there in the top ten.
613
00:31:25,449 --> 00:31:29,452
The ringed planet comes in
at number four on the list.
614
00:31:29,486 --> 00:31:33,489
Listen up for
the ''Surreal Sounds of Saturn.''
615
00:31:33,523 --> 00:31:35,658
[ghostly buzzing]
616
00:31:35,692 --> 00:31:38,494
They come to us
from the Cassini spacecraft,
617
00:31:38,528 --> 00:31:41,597
which has been delivering
mind-blowing pictures and data
618
00:31:41,632 --> 00:31:47,771
since its arrival
at the ringed planet in 2004.
619
00:31:47,771 --> 00:31:49,939
As on Voyager and Galileo,
620
00:31:49,973 --> 00:31:52,809
Cassini's plasma wave
instrument is our proxy
621
00:31:52,843 --> 00:31:55,478
for human ears in space.
622
00:31:55,512 --> 00:31:57,814
[ghostly buzzing]
623
00:31:57,848 --> 00:31:59,649
- The eerie and bizarre sounds
624
00:31:59,683 --> 00:32:02,752
we hear from Cassini's radio
and plasma-wave instrument
625
00:32:02,786 --> 00:32:05,121
make me think of Halloween.
626
00:32:05,155 --> 00:32:08,157
[ghostly buzzing]
627
00:32:08,191 --> 00:32:10,259
They're due to the aurora
on Saturn,
628
00:32:10,294 --> 00:32:11,895
very similar to Earth's aurora.
629
00:32:11,929 --> 00:32:14,364
[ghostly buzzing]
630
00:32:14,398 --> 00:32:16,700
Your ears could never pick up
these frequencies,
631
00:32:16,733 --> 00:32:18,968
but we move them into a range,
and when we do,
632
00:32:19,002 --> 00:32:21,404
we were surprised to see
how eerie and scary
633
00:32:21,438 --> 00:32:22,539
they actually were.
634
00:32:22,572 --> 00:32:26,542
[ghostly buzzing]
635
00:32:29,513 --> 00:32:31,181
narrator:
The ''Surreal Sounds of Saturn''
636
00:32:31,214 --> 00:32:36,319
isn't the ringed planet's
only song on the countdown.
637
00:32:36,353 --> 00:32:40,056
Turn it over, and we find
number three on the playlist:
638
00:32:40,090 --> 00:32:43,159
''Saturn's Flip Side.''
639
00:32:43,193 --> 00:32:45,094
[wind blowing eerily]
640
00:32:45,128 --> 00:32:48,731
Scientists call this hit
a CrOSSOVer.
641
00:32:48,765 --> 00:32:53,436
This crossover has nothing to do
with mixing musical styles
642
00:32:53,470 --> 00:32:54,838
but describes radio waves
643
00:32:54,871 --> 00:32:57,607
from Saturn's northern
and southern hemispheres,
644
00:32:57,641 --> 00:32:59,843
as they actually crisscross
in frequency
645
00:32:59,876 --> 00:33:04,080
over a period of time.
646
00:33:04,114 --> 00:33:06,449
- We saw something really
strange in our radio data,
647
00:33:06,483 --> 00:33:08,051
in our plasma-wave data-
648
00:33:08,085 --> 00:33:12,422
a couple of crossing frequencies
that apparently suggested
649
00:33:12,456 --> 00:33:14,257
that the northern
and southern hemispheres
650
00:33:14,291 --> 00:33:16,092
were rotating
at different rates.
651
00:33:16,126 --> 00:33:18,962
That's very unfamiliar to us
on a solid Earth,
652
00:33:18,996 --> 00:33:21,698
where the Earth rotates
at one rate.
653
00:33:21,732 --> 00:33:23,934
lt actually turns out
we don't think Saturn's rotating
654
00:33:23,967 --> 00:33:25,368
at different rates.
655
00:33:25,402 --> 00:33:28,772
We think that high-altitude
zonal winds are tricking us
656
00:33:28,805 --> 00:33:31,340
and making us think that
there's different rotation
657
00:33:31,375 --> 00:33:33,110
in the northern
and southern hemisphere,
658
00:33:33,143 --> 00:33:34,644
but it's probably not the case.
659
00:33:34,678 --> 00:33:38,615
[electronic whirring]
660
00:33:38,648 --> 00:33:39,849
narrator: Similar waves,
661
00:33:39,883 --> 00:33:42,785
following the lines of Saturn's
magnetic field,
662
00:33:42,819 --> 00:33:47,223
revealed a surprise
about the ringed planet.
663
00:33:47,257 --> 00:33:49,759
- One of the most bizarre things
that Cassini found
664
00:33:49,793 --> 00:33:52,595
was apparently the Saturn day
was about six minutes longer
665
00:33:52,629 --> 00:33:54,464
than it was back
in the days of Voyager,
666
00:33:54,498 --> 00:33:55,932
mere decades earlier.
667
00:33:55,966 --> 00:33:58,468
The determination of the length
of Saturn's day
668
00:33:58,502 --> 00:34:00,904
is actually not possible
by watching the clouds rotate
669
00:34:00,937 --> 00:34:02,104
around the planet.
670
00:34:02,139 --> 00:34:04,107
We have to use
these radio emissions,
671
00:34:04,141 --> 00:34:05,342
the sounds of space,
672
00:34:05,375 --> 00:34:07,744
to see what the deep interior
is doing.
673
00:34:07,778 --> 00:34:09,980
And that's where we found
this mystery.
674
00:34:12,816 --> 00:34:15,985
narrator: It's virtually
impossible to slow down a planet
675
00:34:16,019 --> 00:34:20,189
the size of Saturn that much
in such a short time.
676
00:34:20,223 --> 00:34:23,326
So scientists now realize
the radio emissions
677
00:34:23,360 --> 00:34:26,963
probably don't give
an accurate picture.
678
00:34:26,997 --> 00:34:30,066
And by sophisticated mapping
of Saturn's winds,
679
00:34:30,100 --> 00:34:32,702
they now have a better take
on Saturn's day,
680
00:34:32,736 --> 00:34:38,441
which happens to be 10 hours,
34 minutes, and 13 seconds long.
681
00:34:38,442 --> 00:34:41,511
[electronic whirring]
682
00:34:41,545 --> 00:34:44,581
Now we're closing in
on the surface of Titan,
683
00:34:44,614 --> 00:34:46,282
Saturn's biggest moon,
684
00:34:46,316 --> 00:34:49,619
as it swings
into the Alien Sounds Countdown.
685
00:34:49,653 --> 00:34:54,124
Hit number two rings out
as ''Totally Titan.''
686
00:34:54,157 --> 00:34:56,792
And it opens with
an otherworldly hiss
687
00:34:56,827 --> 00:34:59,462
from an actual microphone
on the Huygens lander,
688
00:34:59,496 --> 00:35:01,097
separated from Cassini
689
00:35:01,131 --> 00:35:03,766
and parachuting through
Titan's methane atmosphere,
690
00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:08,070
nearly a billion miles away
from Earth.
691
00:35:08,105 --> 00:35:10,106
- If you're parachuting,
you're going to hear...
692
00:35:10,140 --> 00:35:11,641
[imitates wind rushing]
693
00:35:11,675 --> 00:35:14,811
That's exactly what we hear
in these Huygens sounds.
694
00:35:14,845 --> 00:35:18,315
[wind rushing]
695
00:35:18,348 --> 00:35:20,783
narrator: The sound was
transmitted as the lander headed
696
00:35:20,817 --> 00:35:26,322
toward Titan's surface in 2005.
697
00:35:26,323 --> 00:35:29,592
- The acoustic sensor on Huygens
was essentially a microphone,
698
00:35:29,626 --> 00:35:33,129
but it only sampled
every couple seconds.
699
00:35:33,163 --> 00:35:35,865
lt would take a little sound-
tiny, tiny sound bite
700
00:35:35,899 --> 00:35:38,668
and then nothing and then
a tiny, tiny sound bite.
701
00:35:38,702 --> 00:35:42,038
lt wasn't planned
to turn that into sounds
702
00:35:42,072 --> 00:35:43,940
that the public could hear.
703
00:35:43,974 --> 00:35:48,011
[wind rushing]
704
00:35:48,044 --> 00:35:50,346
narrator: But unlike
the other sounds from Saturn,
705
00:35:50,380 --> 00:35:53,416
these were not converted
from radio waves.
706
00:35:53,450 --> 00:35:58,555
They began as true sound waves
in Titan's methane atmosphere,
707
00:35:58,588 --> 00:36:00,756
and The Planetary Society
stepped in
708
00:36:00,790 --> 00:36:03,592
to convert the staccato sampling
of the microphone
709
00:36:03,627 --> 00:36:07,998
into something audible
to human ears.
710
00:36:08,031 --> 00:36:11,067
- In the end, what you hear
is mostly wind noise
711
00:36:11,101 --> 00:36:14,037
as the parachute's descending
through the atmosphere.
712
00:36:14,070 --> 00:36:16,872
And then things get much,
much quieter on the surface.
713
00:36:16,907 --> 00:36:17,974
lt goes from...
714
00:36:18,008 --> 00:36:20,310
[imitates wind rushing]
715
00:36:20,343 --> 00:36:21,544
To suddenly being...
716
00:36:21,578 --> 00:36:23,179
[imitates air hissing]
717
00:36:23,213 --> 00:36:26,316
[wind rushing]
718
00:36:26,349 --> 00:36:31,120
But what's really profound is,
we're hearing sounds
719
00:36:31,154 --> 00:36:33,189
taken by
an actual acoustic sensor
720
00:36:33,223 --> 00:36:34,991
from a billion miles away.
721
00:36:35,025 --> 00:36:39,129
First time we've ever heard
sounds from another planet
722
00:36:39,162 --> 00:36:43,766
or moon around another planet.
723
00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:46,502
narrator: But the rushing wind
wasn't the only sound
724
00:36:46,536 --> 00:36:48,070
coming from Huygens.
725
00:36:48,104 --> 00:36:50,406
As data streamed in
from the lander
726
00:36:50,440 --> 00:36:52,542
on the way to Titan's surface,
727
00:36:52,576 --> 00:36:54,744
white-knuckled engineers
in Mission Control
728
00:36:54,778 --> 00:36:57,013
held their breath,
729
00:36:57,047 --> 00:37:02,118
hoping the intrepid spacecraft
would make its landing safely.
730
00:37:02,152 --> 00:37:04,120
The final chapter in the story
731
00:37:04,154 --> 00:37:06,923
is told in
an incredible music video
732
00:37:06,957 --> 00:37:10,460
guaranteed to keep you
on the edge of your seat.
733
00:37:20,070 --> 00:37:21,371
We've been counting down
734
00:37:21,404 --> 00:37:24,073
the top ten alien sounds
of the universe,
735
00:37:24,107 --> 00:37:28,110
and we've almost reached
number one.
736
00:37:28,144 --> 00:37:32,448
But first we're shifting
into high gear...
737
00:37:32,482 --> 00:37:35,418
as number two runs
with an astronomical riff
738
00:37:35,452 --> 00:37:36,786
from the Huygens space probe
739
00:37:36,820 --> 00:37:39,722
visiting
Saturn's largest moon...
740
00:37:39,756 --> 00:37:41,791
Titan.
741
00:37:41,825 --> 00:37:47,697
lt's the only alien sound that
comes with its own music video.
742
00:37:47,731 --> 00:37:49,299
Look and listen.
743
00:37:49,332 --> 00:37:53,235
Cut two on number two-
it's ''Totally Titan.''
744
00:37:56,406 --> 00:37:59,976
- Here we have what's called
the bells and whistles movie
745
00:38:00,010 --> 00:38:01,678
5_om Cassini-Huy_ens,
746
00:38:01,711 --> 00:38:03,345
and it's showing the descent,
747
00:38:03,380 --> 00:38:07,150
and it's a great example
of using sound
748
00:38:07,183 --> 00:38:10,052
to convey all sorts
of different kinds of data.
749
00:38:10,086 --> 00:38:12,955
[warbling and squealing]
750
00:38:12,989 --> 00:38:14,390
narrator:
Just as a Geiger counter
751
00:38:14,424 --> 00:38:17,727
announces radioactivity
using audible clicks,
752
00:38:17,761 --> 00:38:19,896
the instruments
on the Huygens lander
753
00:38:19,929 --> 00:38:21,363
were given their own sounds
754
00:38:21,398 --> 00:38:24,100
to register the measurements
they were taking.
755
00:38:24,134 --> 00:38:28,838
[warbling and chiming]
756
00:38:28,872 --> 00:38:31,641
- Those chimes you hear-
each one of those means
757
00:38:31,675 --> 00:38:33,710
that an instrument
was taking a picture
758
00:38:33,743 --> 00:38:35,144
or some other kind of data.
759
00:38:35,178 --> 00:38:37,346
Different instruments are
a different chime.
760
00:38:37,380 --> 00:38:40,883
We also are hearing a kind of
a hum in the background.
761
00:38:40,917 --> 00:38:44,453
That's the signal strength
to the Cassini spacecraft.
762
00:38:44,487 --> 00:38:46,355
We've got a ticking that occurs
763
00:38:46,389 --> 00:38:49,191
that has to do with the spinning
and rotation of the spacecraft.
764
00:38:49,225 --> 00:38:53,395
Every time it rotates once,
they have the tick.
765
00:38:53,430 --> 00:38:54,998
narrator:
Though it's just an assembly
766
00:38:55,031 --> 00:38:56,799
of pure scientific information,
767
00:38:56,833 --> 00:38:59,502
the video seems to preserve
what must have been
768
00:38:59,536 --> 00:39:03,506
those last moments
of high tension...
769
00:39:03,540 --> 00:39:06,276
when the scientists
in Mission Control wondered,
770
00:39:06,309 --> 00:39:09,245
''Will the tiny spacecraft
Iand safely,
771
00:39:09,279 --> 00:39:11,247
or will it crash?''
772
00:39:11,281 --> 00:39:14,684
[warbling and squealing]
773
00:39:14,718 --> 00:39:18,888
- So here we go,
and almost down...
774
00:39:18,922 --> 00:39:21,658
and then...
775
00:39:21,691 --> 00:39:25,728
and we're landed.
776
00:39:25,762 --> 00:39:28,197
narrator:
Mission accomplished.. .
777
00:39:28,231 --> 00:39:32,101
with sound a billion miles away.
778
00:39:35,605 --> 00:39:37,473
''Totally Titan''
has been a thrill
779
00:39:37,507 --> 00:39:39,275
at number two on the countdown,
780
00:39:39,309 --> 00:39:44,414
but now we spin the platter
on the mysterious number one...
781
00:39:44,447 --> 00:39:46,015
[cosmic whistling]
782
00:39:46,049 --> 00:39:49,952
A song that comes from a place
totally unlike anything else
783
00:39:49,986 --> 00:39:53,723
in the universe
we've ever encountered.
784
00:39:53,757 --> 00:39:56,326
While some remind us
of the strange signals
785
00:39:56,359 --> 00:39:58,260
from Jupiter and Saturn,
786
00:39:58,294 --> 00:40:00,362
there are also sounds
in this song
787
00:40:00,397 --> 00:40:03,099
that are completely different
from anything we've measured
788
00:40:03,133 --> 00:40:09,606
or detected anywhere else
in the cosmos...
789
00:40:09,606 --> 00:40:11,541
because number one
on the countdown
790
00:40:11,574 --> 00:40:14,443
has sounds alien
to the entire universe,
791
00:40:14,477 --> 00:40:17,580
except for the place
where they originate.
792
00:40:17,614 --> 00:40:20,350
Number one in the universe's
greatest hits
793
00:40:20,383 --> 00:40:23,452
resounds with echoes
of a singular place.
794
00:40:23,486 --> 00:40:27,656
''The Echoes of Earth.''
795
00:40:38,968 --> 00:40:42,805
- Here on Earth, we're used to
thinking of the alien sounds
796
00:40:42,839 --> 00:40:45,474
as being everything that comes
from beyond our planet,
797
00:40:45,508 --> 00:40:49,278
and that might be examples
of plasma waves
798
00:40:49,312 --> 00:40:53,049
and pressure moving through
astrophysical media or objects.
799
00:40:53,082 --> 00:40:57,286
But, really, if you think about
observing our Earth from afar,
800
00:40:57,320 --> 00:40:59,155
the aliens are us.
801
00:40:59,189 --> 00:41:00,623
And our sounds are unique,
802
00:41:00,657 --> 00:41:03,292
because they come
from living organisms,
803
00:41:03,326 --> 00:41:04,927
whether it be human language...
804
00:41:04,961 --> 00:41:07,096
[indistinct chatter]
805
00:41:07,130 --> 00:41:08,164
Or bird songs.
806
00:41:08,198 --> 00:41:11,401
[bird trilling]
807
00:41:13,536 --> 00:41:16,205
narrator: An alien probe
exploring Earth space
808
00:41:16,239 --> 00:41:18,975
would certainly pick up the
Jupiter- or Saturn-like sounds
809
00:41:19,008 --> 00:41:24,847
of charged particles propelled
by Earth's magnetic field.
810
00:41:24,848 --> 00:41:27,150
But our planet,
unlike the others,
811
00:41:27,183 --> 00:41:29,718
also emits radio waves,
812
00:41:29,752 --> 00:41:34,056
broadcast into the cosmos
by human beings.
813
00:41:34,090 --> 00:41:37,760
[warbling and beeping]
814
00:41:37,794 --> 00:41:40,863
[static whirring]
815
00:41:40,897 --> 00:41:44,600
- Good evening, this is
Professor Reginald A. Fessenden,
816
00:41:44,634 --> 00:41:48,404
speaking to you
from Brant Rock, Massachusetts.
817
00:41:48,438 --> 00:41:51,841
narrator: In 1 906,
at Brant Rock, Massachusetts,
818
00:41:51,875 --> 00:41:54,711
Reginald Fessenden made
the first radio broadcast
819
00:41:54,744 --> 00:41:57,680
of speech and music.
820
00:41:57,714 --> 00:42:00,683
Fessenden was the inventor
of AM radio,
821
00:42:00,717 --> 00:42:05,655
transmitting his first signals
on Christmas Eve.
822
00:42:05,688 --> 00:42:10,325
lt was picked up by sailors
hundreds of miles out at sea
823
00:42:10,360 --> 00:42:14,864
and has been traveling
through space ever since.
824
00:42:14,898 --> 00:42:16,566
- Ever since the beginning
of radio,
825
00:42:16,599 --> 00:42:19,201
we've really been broadcasting
out into space.
826
00:42:19,235 --> 00:42:21,437
And we've been sending out
these signals,
827
00:42:21,471 --> 00:42:23,739
in the hopes that somebody
will intercept them.
828
00:42:23,773 --> 00:42:25,875
Of course,
space is a very large place,
829
00:42:25,909 --> 00:42:27,677
and, therefore,
it's hard to know
830
00:42:27,710 --> 00:42:29,511
who would have gotten them
and when,
831
00:42:29,546 --> 00:42:35,718
but there they are on their way
out to who knows where.
832
00:42:35,718 --> 00:42:38,887
- Hello from the children
of Planet Earth.
833
00:42:38,922 --> 00:42:40,690
[woman speaking Japanese]
834
00:42:40,723 --> 00:42:43,125
narrator: Earthly sounds are
also traveling through space,
835
00:42:43,159 --> 00:42:47,796
not by radio, but aboard the two
Voyager space probes...
836
00:42:47,830 --> 00:42:51,200
on a slow but steady course
to the stars.
837
00:42:51,234 --> 00:42:54,136
- Bonjour, tout le monde.
838
00:42:54,170 --> 00:42:57,339
- One of the examples
of how important sound is
839
00:42:57,373 --> 00:43:00,576
to us here on Earth is that
when we launched Voyager,
840
00:43:00,610 --> 00:43:03,346
we actually included
a golden record
841
00:43:03,379 --> 00:43:05,280
of sounds from our Earth.
842
00:43:05,315 --> 00:43:08,151
And this was to represent
not only human sound
843
00:43:08,184 --> 00:43:10,252
but also sounds
of the many creatures
844
00:43:10,286 --> 00:43:12,121
that live here on Earth with us.
845
00:43:12,155 --> 00:43:14,123
So it's really
a sound fingerprint
846
00:43:14,157 --> 00:43:16,292
of life on our planet.
847
00:43:16,326 --> 00:43:18,861
[dog barking]
848
00:43:21,197 --> 00:43:22,565
narrator:
As we take our own place
849
00:43:22,599 --> 00:43:26,202
among the top ten hits
in our playlist,
850
00:43:26,235 --> 00:43:29,204
we realize they only scratch
the surface
851
00:43:29,238 --> 00:43:32,975
of the cosmic voices
calling out in the void.
852
00:43:33,009 --> 00:43:35,444
From creation
to the present day,
853
00:43:35,478 --> 00:43:39,114
space has produced
a broad catalog of sounds
854
00:43:39,148 --> 00:43:42,751
to accompany
its brilliant sights.
855
00:43:42,785 --> 00:43:45,621
As strange as
these many sounds seem,
856
00:43:45,655 --> 00:43:49,058
we've learned that they carry
important messages,
857
00:43:49,092 --> 00:43:51,928
helping to solve mysteries
of nature
858
00:43:51,961 --> 00:43:56,665
and our ultimate understanding
of the universe.
859
00:43:56,715 --> 00:44:01,265
Repair and Synchronization by
Easy Subtitles Synchronizer 1.0.0.0
67113
Can't find what you're looking for?
Get subtitles in any language from opensubtitles.com, and translate them here.