Science For Sleep | What Is the Oldest Thing in the Universe?

Long before stars and galaxies formed, the universe left behind quiet traces of its beginning. In this episode, what is the oldest thing in the universe becomes a gentle exploration of ancient light, fundamental particles, and structures that have existed since the earliest moments of time. Some of the oldest things we can observe are photons from the cosmic microwave background — light that has been traveling for over 13 billion years. Even more ancient are the basic particles and physical laws that emerged in the first fractions of a second, still shaping everything we see today. Let this calm reflection on what the oldest thing in the universe really is stretch your sense of time. Breathe slowly. Imagine something that has existed since nearly the beginning of everything. And rest in the stillness of a universe where the oldest traces are still quietly present all around you.