Feb 21 2019

How Galaxies Work

46 min 4 movies discussed
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In the universe things tend to cluster. This means there’s a coherent structure to the universe and learning about clusters of stars – galaxies - helps us figure out what that structure is. Join Chuck and Josh on an amazing space voyage!

AI Summary

# Stuff You Should Know - Galaxies Episode Summary

Josh, Chuck, and Jerry take listeners on a mind-bending cosmic journey exploring everything from our place in the Milky Way to the vast universe beyond, packed with hilarious tangents and mind-expanding comparisons that make the incomprehensibly huge actually feel relatable. The episode dives into galaxy types—from spirals like our own to elliptical and irregular galaxies—and reveals how astronomers discovered that galaxies aren't lonely islands in space but rather collide and merge over billions of years, with Andromeda set to crash into us in about five billion years. Along the way, the hosts tackle cosmic concepts like red shift, galaxy clusters, the mysterious intergalactic medium, and the sobering reality that the expanding universe means most of it will eventually become completely undetectable to us.


Movies Discussed

Cat's Eye
Cat's Eye
1985 PG-13 1h 34m
★ 6.7
"He was also the best part of the Stephen King anthology film Cat's Eye. — Referencing James Woods' role in a Stephen King horror anthology film." — Chuck
Star Wars
Star Wars
1977 2h 1m
★ 8.2
"Because a Parsec is a unit of distance that is 3.26 light years. And you remember in Star Wars, the famous line from Han Solo, remember? — Using the famous 'Kessel Run in 12 Parsecs' quote to explain units of astronomical distance." — Josh
The Number 23
The Number 23
2007 R 1h 37m
★ 6.4
"They're like Jim Carrey in the number 23 or something. — Comparing astronomers searching for patterns in galaxy structure to Jim Carrey's obsessive behavior in the film." — Josh
The Simpsons
The Simpsons
1989
★ 8.0
"He also made an appearance on The Simpsons. — Discussing James Woods' various appearances in film and television." — Chuck

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