Genius by Stephen Hawking

Where Did the Universe Come From?

Join an extraordinary journey of discovery, featuring racing cars, ice-skaters, balloons and running tracks as Stephen Hawking leads his three intrepid souls to a deeper understanding of the evolution of the universe than the average physics major, all with any mathematics or equations.

Where Did the Universe Come From?

54m 41s

Join an extraordinary journey of discovery, featuring racing cars, ice-skaters, balloons and running tracks as Stephen Hawking leads his three intrepid souls to a deeper understanding of the evolution of the universe than the average physics major, all with any mathematics or equations.

Previews + Extras

  • Drag Racing to Explore the Doppler Effect: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Drag Racing to Explore the Doppler Effect

    S1 E4 - 3m 16s

    Stephen Hawking and Neil Turok introduce us to Einstein’s idea of a static universe. The volunteers arrive at a drag strip with an electric car ready to go. They must use the sound of the siren, a microphone and laptop to determine the speed and direction of the car. How fast will the car go and what can it tell them about our universe?

  • The Movement of Galaxies in Space: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Movement of Galaxies in Space

    S1 E4 - 4m 33s

    The volunteers must organize a special race mimicking the movement of galaxies in space. They must arrange the "galaxies" in order to start the race, but they don’t all start form the same point. They are surprised to see that some of the galaxies walk and some run very fast. This demonstrates that the galaxies furthest away from Earth are also the ones traveling the fastest.

  • Replicating the Big Bang on Ice: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Replicating the Big Bang on Ice

    S1 E4 - 5m 24s

    The volunteers take to the ice to find a way to use the balloons and leaf blowers to re-create how the galaxies are moving. They recruit the help of a team of hokey players and discover that the players further away from the centre are moving away faster. What does this tell them about the expansion of the universe?

  • Where Did The Universe Come From?: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    Where Did The Universe Come From?

    S1 E4 - 30s

    Join Stephen Hawking as he challenges three ordinary people to work out where the universe came from. Hawking leads the trio on an extraordinary journey of discovery featuring racing cars, ice-skaters, balloons and running tracks. #HawkingGeniusPBS

Similar Shows

WETA Passport

Stream tens of thousands of hours of your PBS and local favorites with WETA Passport whenever and wherever you want. Catch up on a single episode or binge-watch full seasons before they air on TV.