Mayim Bialik's Breakdown Secrets of the Universe: What Happened Before The Big Bang, Life Across the Galaxy, Surviving a Black Hole & How We’re All Made of Stars | Astrophysicist Janna Levin
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Oct 14, 2025 
Astrophysicist Janna Levin, a professor at Barnard College and author of the Black Hole Survival Guide, takes listeners on a thrilling cosmic exploration. She dives into the mysteries of the universe, questioning what came before the Big Bang and unraveling how black holes bend time. Janna discusses the unique formations of planets and moons, revealing the role of stellar explosions in creating our world. With insights on the search for extraterrestrial life and the complex nature of advanced civilizations, her perspectives inspire wonder about our place in the cosmos.
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Sharing The Climb's View
- Janna Levin describes her writing as sharing the view from a climb rather than exhaustive exposition.
- She aims to blend scientific clarity with poetic, personal resonance to reach broader audiences.
Big Bang Created Space And Time
- The Big Bang was not an explosion in preexisting space but the birth and rapid expansion of space-time itself.
- Every observer is effectively at the center because the expansion happens everywhere simultaneously.
We See The Big Bang's Afterglow
- A measurable afterglow from the Big Bang (cosmic microwave background) fills space and cooled with expansion.
- COBE's precise measurement confirmed that the universe was once a hot, uniform bath of radiation.
