How To Use a Black Hole To See Your Past

The Rest Is Science

Goalhanger

Physics, Science, Mathematics

4.5 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 4 May 2026

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if the universe is recording everything you’ve ever seen and done? In this episode, Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens explore the idea that light itself might carry a record of the past. And if it did, how could we watch history unfold by capturing it. Could a perfectly placed mirror or even a black hole bend that ancient light back to us? Could we watch the pyramids being built, or hear Einstein’s final words? From a nano-second old reflection in a mirror to the photons drifting through billions of miles of space, they reveal how everything we see is already gone, and uncover surprising truths about time, perception, and our own DNA. ------------------- For more information about Cancer Research UK, their research, breakthroughs and how you can support them, visit ⁠⁠https://cancerresearchuk.org/restisscience⁠⁠ Cancer Research UK is a registered charity in England and Wales (1089464), Scotland (SC041666), the Isle of Man (1103) and Jersey (247). A company limited by guarantee. Registered company in England and Wales (4325234) and the Isle of Man (5713F). Registered address: 2 Redman Place, London, E20 1JQ. ------------------- Find The Rest Is Science all over the internet by ⁠⁠clicking here. ------------------- Video Producer: Adam Thornton + Oli Oakley + Jack Meek Animator: Sam Benson Video & Social: Bex Tyrrell Assistant Producer: Lucy Lipscombe Producer: Simona Rata Senior Producer: Lauren Armstrong-Carter Head Of Digital: Samuel Oakley Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the rest of science. I'm Hannah Frye. And I'm Michael Stevens. Today, Hannah, we are going to look into the past by looking up, but not in the usual way. We're not going to be going to do in the whole like, whoa, when you see the stars, you're seeing them as they were years ago. No, no, no. We're going to be looking at our own pasts in outer space. Am I, hang on, Michael, am I also going to learn a mnemonic during this for how many feet are in a mile? Because I can feel one coming. That's not me looking into our past. That's me looking into our future. Believe it or not, Hannah, yes, you will. You've looked into our future. This is an episode where the research I did took me all over the place and I'm not going to organize it. I'm going to just blast it all over everyone's ears and eyes. Here we go.
0:48.9	This episode is brought to you by Cancer Research UK. Here's something strange. Your DNA contains more ancient viral fragments than genes.
1:00.8	The genes that build our cells make up only 2% of our DNA.
1:06.1	And for years, that is what scientists focused on.
1:09.0	They treated the rest, the ancient viruses and stuff, as junk.
1:12.6	But now we know that that hidden majority, sometimes called the dark genome, influences how our biology works and how disease like cancer behave.
1:23.1	It's a reminder that progress rarely comes as a single breakthrough.
1:27.7	It builds gradually.
1:29.2	Cancer Research UK plays a central role in that progress, supporting decades of research
1:35.0	into over 200 types of cancer, work that's helped double survival in the UK over the
1:41.1	past 50 years.
1:42.3	For more information about Cancer Research UK,
1:44.7	their research breakthroughs and how you can support them,
1:48.1	visit cancersearchuk.org forward slash the rest is science.
1:53.7	Selling your car can be super simple.
1:56.0	If you choose We Buy Any Car instead of a confusing part exchange,
2:00.1	because with We Buy Any Car, you'll have cash in the bank
2:02.5	for more bargaining power on your next car.
2:05.1	If only they could make getting to that countryside wedding simpler.
2:08.2	Make a U-turn. Make a U-turn.
2:10.6	Oh no.
2:14.0	We Buy Any Car, selling made simple.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Goalhanger, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Goalhanger and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.