Video Description

"We are all in orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy. How big is this collection of stars? Somewhere between 200 and 400 billion suns in the Milky Way galaxy, about 100,000 light years across." You can watch our full interview with Brian Cox here ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO41iURud9c Subscribe to Big Think on YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvQECJukTDE2i6aCoMnS-Vg?sub_confirmation=1 Up next, Brian Cox on how black holes could unlock the mysteries of our universe ► https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGsbEd6w7PI How do we measure the universe, and are we doing it wrong? Physicist Brian Cox uncovers the hidden assumptions behind our units of measurement, showing how human perspective distorts our understanding of space, time, and scale.  Cox explores the fundamental constants—like the speed of light, Planck’s constant, and gravity—that underpin the very fabric of our universe. 00:00 Biologically-based measurements 01:26 3 fundamental quantities 01:42 The speed of light 01:57 Strength of gravity 02:26 Planck’s constant 04:20 Observing a Planck length 05:32 Distance to the planets 08:18 Distance to other galaxies Read the video transcript ► https://bigthink.com/series/the-big-think-interview/measuring-the-universe/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Member Get exclusive content, early, ad-free access to new releases, and more. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Get Big Think+ for Business Engage learners like never before with high-impact video microlearning from the biggest thinkers in the world. https://bigthink.com/plus/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Brian Cox: Brian Cox obtained a first class honors degree in physics from the University of Manchester in 1995 and in 1998 a Ph.D. in High Energy Particle Physics at the DESY laboratory in Hamburg. He is now Professor of Particle Physics at the University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society. Brian is widely recognized as the foremost communicator for all things scientific, having presented a number of highly acclaimed science programs for the BBC watched by billions internationally including ‘Adventures in Space and Time’ (2021), ‘Universe’ (2021), ‘The Planets’ (2018), ‘Forces of Nature’ (2016), ‘Human Universe’ (2014), ‘Wonders of Life’ (2012), ‘Wonders of the Universe’ (2011) and ‘Wonders of the Solar System’ (2010). As an author, Brian has also sold over a million books worldwide including ‘Black Holes’, ‘Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos’, ‘Quantum Universe’ and ‘Why Does E=mc2?’ with co-author Professor Jeffrey Forshaw. He has set several world records for his sell-out live tours, including his most recent tour Horizons which has taken in venues across the globe.