Since the time of the ancient Greeks, scientists have been constructing a cosmic measuring tape to measure the universe from our own backyard all the way to its ever-expanding edge: the cosmic distance ladder
In this video, we climb that ladder and explore how each rung has revealed something new and previously unthinkable about the universe we live in.
00:00 - How far away are things?
01:05 - Near, far, parallax that star
03:25 - Island universes and Hubble's blinking star
05:51 - Redshifted rainbows and the expanding universe
07:41 - Supernovae and the end of everything
09:08 - Conclusion: The ladder of discovery
10:00 - I'm hosting a game show!