rss-bridge 2025-10-13T20:00:00+00:00

The Life Scientific: Brian Schmidt

Have you ever pondered the fact that the universe is expanding? And not only that, it's expanding at an increasing speed - meaning everything around us is getting further and further away? If that isolating thought makes you feel slightly panicked, don't worry: this programme also contains wine! Brian Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor of Astrophysics at the Australian National University, known for his work on supernovae: massive explosions that take place when stars come to the ends of their lives. They are among the most energetic events in the universe and incredibly difficult to find; but that’s what his High-Z Supernova Search Team did, identifying enough of these rare and distant explosions to measure just how fast they were moving away from us. This led them to the realisation that, contrary to long-held belief in cosmology, the expansion of the universe was speeding up; a discovery which earned Brian a share of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics. As if that wasn't enough, he's gone on to discover one of the earliest stars in the universe; run a university; and become a winemaker, at his very own vineyard just outside Canberra. In a conversation spanning the genius phraseology of writer Douglas Adams, the importance of pisco sours, and the similarities between astronomy and viticulture, Brian tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili how his supernovae breakthrough paved the way for a revolution in astronomy - and where the field needs to go next... Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor
Revised for World Service by Minnie Harrop

---

Homepage

Accessibility links

- Accessibility Help

BBC World Service

Discovery

- Discovery Home
- Episodes
- Galleries
- Podcast
- Join us on Facebook

Main content

Listen now

The Life Scientific: Brian Schmidt

Discovery

Jim Al-Khalili talks to astrophysicist Brian Schmidt about his discovery that the expansion of the universe is speeding up - and what wine-making and astronomy have in common.

Have you ever pondered the fact that the universe is expanding? And not only that, it's expanding at an increasing speed - meaning everything around us is getting further and further away?

If that isolating thought makes you feel slightly panicked, don't worry: this programme also contains wine!

Brian Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor of Astrophysics at the Australian National University, known for his work on supernovae: massive explosions that take place when stars come to the ends of their lives. They are among the most energetic events in the universe and incredibly difficult to find; but that’s what his High-Z Supernova Search Team did, identifying enough of these rare and distant explosions to measure just how fast they were moving away from us.

This led them to the realisation that, contrary to long-held belief in cosmology, the expansion of the universe was speeding up; a discovery which earned Brian a share of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Physics. As if that wasn't enough, he's gone on to discover one of the earliest stars in the universe; run a university; and become a winemaker, at his very own vineyard just outside Canberra.

In a conversation spanning the genius phraseology of writer Douglas Adams, the importance of pisco sours, and the similarities between astronomy and viticulture, Brian tells Professor Jim Al-Khalili how his supernovae breakthrough paved the way for a revolution in astronomy - and where the field needs to go next...

Presented by Jim Al-Khalili
Produced for BBC Studios by Lucy Taylor
Revised for World Service by Minnie Harrop

###

####

Higher quality (128kbps)

Lower quality (64kbps)

Available now

26 minutes

Last on

Mon 20 Oct 2025
00:32GMT

BBC World Service except Europe and the Middle East

More episodes

#### Previous

The Life Scientific: Jane Goodall

#### Next

The Life Scientific: Tim Coulson

See all episodes from Discovery

Broadcasts

Mon 13 Oct 2025
19:32GMT

BBC World Service

Mon 13 Oct 2025
22:32GMT

BBC World Service Europe and the Middle East

Tue 14 Oct 2025
04:32GMT

BBC World Service Australasia, Americas and the Caribbean, South Asia & East Asia only

Space

[Image: Space]

The eclipses, spacecraft and astronauts changing our view of the Universe

The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry

[Image: The Curious Cases of Rutherford and Fry]

A pair of scientific sleuths answer your perplexing questions. Ask them anything!

Podcast

#### Discovery

Explorations in the world of science.

#### Similar programmes

By genre:

- Factual > Science & Nature

By format:

Magazines & Reviews

[Image: BBC World Service homepage]

Online schedule

Help & FAQs

News in more than 40 languages

---

[Original source](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6swl)