How the Universe Works

New astronomical research is beginning to reveal an invisible scaffold of dark matter known as the Cosmic Web, an intergalactic network that transformed the Universe from a chaotic Big Bang into the structured beauty of the present day cosmos.

Cosmic rays capable of destroying human DNA are hurtling through outer space like subatomic bullets, and in order to protect space crews from radiation damage, physicists are attempting to determine where these deadly particles originate in the universe.

Dark Matter is thought to be the cosmic glue that holds the universe together, yet the search for it continues to eluded scientists today; now, physicists have developed dozens of theories to determine if this mysterious substance could actually exist.

Earth's history is marked by one cosmic disaster after another, forging the path of human evolution; now, experts explore how the Earth has teetered on the verge of destruction, and how chaos and catastrophe may be vital ingredients for a living planet.

Determining the age of the universe continues to be an elusive endeavor for scientists as their results are conflicting, and without a definitive answer, everything that's known about the cosmos, from the big bang to gravity, could be completely wrong.

The two Voyager spacecraft have travelled farther than any human-made object in history, and as they reach interstellar space, experts explore their most astonishing discoveries and how their extended operation has transformed into the ultimate mission.