2009: The 3K cosmic background radiation (Wilson)

Robert W. Wilson was the co-discoverer in 1964 of the 3K Cosmic Background Radiation which originated in the Big Bang and for which he shared the
1978 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Prior to the 20th century, cosmology was the study of objects in the Universe, not the physics of the Universe as a whole. In this talk Wilson reviewed the development of cosmology in the first half of the 20th century, discussed the discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation at Bell Labs and several near misses, which preceded them.

This video presentation, part of the Opening Ceremony of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 held in UNESCO, Paris is featured on the IAF channel courtesy of the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO. The event was co-ordinated by the Observatoire de Paris.

Video production by University of Strasbourg/Canalc2 (www.canalc2.tv)

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• iaf
• space
• 2009
• iya
• iau
• unesco

[sbergman27]

25:10 That put the Steady State theory to rest for everyone but Fred Hoyle, who was so wedded to his Steady State idea that he spent the rest of his life denying reality, and talking nonsense while the world passed him by. He died in 2001, still preaching his gospel of Steady State to an empty house, with no evidence to support his broken and discredited theory.

[brunobliss]

if you really want to know why cientists think in that direction i recommend you read the book "the first 3 minutes" by Steven Weinberg.

[andreaspeter89]

Exactly how is the background radiation proof of Big Bang? And how is the radiation estimated to the temperature that it has been