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NOVA Wonders: What’s the Universe Made Of? 1x53

The universe is hiding something. In fact, it is hiding a lot. Everything we experience on Earth, the stars and galaxies we see in the cosmos—all the “normal” matter that we understand—make up only 5% of the known universe. The other 95% is made up of two mysterious components: “dark matter” and “dark energy.” We can’t see them, but we know they’re there. And what’s more—these two shadowy ingredients are locked in an epic battle to control the very fate of the universe. Now, scientists endeavor to shed light on the so-called “dark sector” as the latest generation of detectors rev up and powerful telescopes peer deeper into the cosmos than ever before to observe how it behaves. Is there a purpose for all these cosmic forces and will the answers help reveal how galaxies formed? NOVA Wonders journeys to the stars and back to investigate what we know—and don’t know. Find out how scientists are discovering new secrets about the history of the universe and why they’re predicting a shocking future.

See the other episodes in Season 1 here: “What Are Animals Saying?”; “What’s Living In You?”; “Can We Build A Brain?”; “Are We Alone?”; “Can We Make Life?