Who's on First?

Being first counts in science. Land that coveted spot and you’ll make history, whether it’s with the first steam engine or the discovery of our earliest human ancestor.

But what does “first” mean when technological invention so heavily builds on what’s come before… and evolution represents continuous change?

Find out how “publish or perish” made Darwin famous… why we’ll never find the first human fossil… and how powerful new telescopes are allowing us to see the earliest galaxies.

Plus, the chicken and egg battle it out in line.

Listen to individual segments here:
Part 1 - Leslea Hlusko
Part 2 - Garth Illingworth
Part 3 - Talk o' Bell
Part 4 - Sean B. Carroll

Who's on First? - Garth Illingworth

Part 2 of Who's on First?, featuring Garth Illingworth – Astrophysicist at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Wheel of Stars

Data visualization specialist Jim Bumgardner has created a sidereal time clock called the Wheel of Stars which depicts the night sky as a music box. Based on data from the ESA's Hipparcos satellite, the wheel revolves around Polaris, and as stars cross the line between zero and 180 degrees, they sound off as chimes, based on their BV measurement and magnitude. Moving as fast as the Earth spins, it takes 24 hours to complete a full circle. Further fun with math, music, and circles can be enjoyed with his Whitney Music Box.