The End of The Universe
Fraser Cain and Pamela L. Gay examine possible futures of the universe across vastly different timescales. Topics include the Milky Way and Andromeda, cosmic isolation as expansion continues, the fading microwave background, the end of star formation and the era of stellar remnants. They discuss uncertain processes such as proton decay, black-hole evaporation through Hawking radiation, entropy and heat death, alongside alternative outcomes if dark energy evolves. These are model-dependent projections. Pamela Gay is a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. Published on 21 September 2026, the episode appears in the feed as The Beginning and End of Everything, Part 2. Its original duration is 37 minutes 7 seconds.
The Beginning of the Universe
Fraser Cain and Pamela L. Gay explore what cosmology can establish about the universe’s earliest history and where knowledge remains limited. The discussion covers inflation, the separation of forces, the emergence of particles and nuclei, and density fluctuations that seed later structure. Recombination and the cosmic microwave background lead into the dark ages, the first stars and reionization, with observations including JWST helping test models of the early universe. Pamela Gay is a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. This Astronomy Cast episode was published on 14 September 2026; its publisher feed labels it The Beginning and End of Everything, Part 1. The original duration is 39 minutes 27 seconds.