304 - How Weird is the Cosmos?

A group of distinguished physicists and astrophysicists outline the latest discoveries of how our universe began and continues to function, and marvel at how quickly the exotic becomes commonplace as they recall that until recently black holes were fantasy.  They debate what could be behind the universe and postulate on the new kind of energy, dubbed “dark energy,” that permeates empty space.  They also discuss current methods for measuring that expansion and contemplate how the new generation of powerful telescopes, along with a digitized mapping of the universe, will alter our theories about the universe’s fundamental laws.