From the Big Bang to Dark Energy

The University of Tokyo

About this Course

We have learned a lot recently about how the Universe evolved in 13.7 billion years since the Big Bang. More than 80% of matter in the Universe is mysterious Dark Matter, which made stars and galaxies to form. The newly discovered Higgs-boson became frozen into the Universe a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang and brought order to the Universe. Yet we still do not know how ordinary matter (atoms) survived against total annihilation by Anti-Matter. The expansion of the Universe started acceleration about 7 billion years ago and the Universe is being ripped apart. The culprit is Dark Energy, a mysterious energy multiplying in vacuum. I will present evidence behind these startling discoveries and discuss what we may learn in the near future. This course is offered in English.

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

Suggested: 2-4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, Russian, Romanian

100% online courses

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 13 hours to complete

Suggested: 2-4 hours/week

English

Subtitles: English, Russian, Romanian

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

1

Section

3 hours to complete

From Daily Life to the Big Bang

Understanding the Universe in which we live and how to probe it can begin with simple daily life experiences such as night and day and the four seasons. Starting from these observations, we will take a journey from our local Earth at the present time all the way to the edge of the universe and back to its birth, learning the techniques and findings in modern physics that provide us this understanding....

12 videos (Total 95 min), 3 readings, 14 quizzes

12 videos

Course Preview1m

Introduction8m

1-1 Night and Day, and Four Seasons9m

1-2 Revolution of the Earth5m

1-3 Why Elliptic?8m

1-4 Why Does Everything Fall the Same Way?8m

1-5 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past I13m

1-6 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past II5m

1-7 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past III6m

1-8 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past IV8m

1-9 Beginning of the Universe Look Far into the Past V10m

1-10 Cosmic Expansion6m

3 readings

Course Description10m

Syllabus10m

About Optional Challenge Problems10m

14 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 1-12m

Practice Quiz 1-22m

Graded Quiz 1-14m

Practice Quiz 1-34m

Practice Quiz 1-42m

Graded Quiz 1-24m

Practice Quiz 1-52m

Practice Quiz 1-62m

Practice Quiz 1-72m

Practice Quiz 1-82m

Practice Quiz 1-92m

Practice Quiz 1-102m

Graded Quiz 1-36m

Optional Challenge Problem 110m

2

Section

2 hours to complete

Birth of Elements and Higgs Boson

We are made of chemical elements. So one of the fundamental questions “where do we come from?” leads to another question: “how were elements born?”. This is related to the Higgs Boson, an important particle in answering this question which remained elusive until its discovery was recently announced on July 4, 2012. In this module, we will learn recent research outcomes on these topics....

9 videos (Total 97 min), 11 quizzes

9 videos

2-1 Birth of Elements I5m

2-2 Birth of Elements II11m

2-3 Birth of Elements III6m

2-4 Birth of Elements IV9m

2-5 Birth of Elements V14m

2-6 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe I7m

2-7 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe II13m

2-8 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe III15m

2-9 Higgs Boson Frozen into the Universe IV12m

11 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 2-12m

Practice Quiz 2-22m

Practice Quiz 2-32m

Practice Quiz 2-42m

Practice Quiz 2-52m

Graded Quiz 2-16m

Practice Quiz 2-62m

Practice Quiz 2-72m

Practice Quiz 2-82m

Practice Quiz 2-92m

Graded Quiz 2-28m

3

Section

2 hours to complete

Dark Matter and Anti-Matter

In this module, we will learn about dark matter and anti-matter -- some of the more mysterious sides of the Universe. We know dark matter played an important role in the formation of stars and galaxies, but much of properties are still unknown to us. In another strange mystery, we will see how the beginning of the universe started with equal amounts of matter and anti-matter, yet somehow only matter (which we are composed of!) survived....

8 videos (Total 83 min), 1 reading, 11 quizzes

8 videos

3-1 Power Spectrum11m

3-2 Dark Matter I6m

3-3 Dark Matter II10m

3-4 Nature of Dark Matter I9m

3-5 Nature of Dark Matter II9m

3-6 Neutrinos and Anti-Matter I13m

3-7 Neutrinos and Anti-Matter II13m

3-8 Neutrinos and Anti-Matter III9m

1 readings

About Optional Challenge Problems10m

11 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 3-12m

Practice Quiz 3-22m

Practice Quiz 3-32m

Practice Quiz 3-42m

Practice Quiz 3-52m

Graded Quiz 3-18m

Practice Quiz 3-62m

Practice Quiz 3-72m

Practice Quiz 3-82m

Graded Quiz 3-26m

Optional Challenge Problem 210m

4

Section

2 hours to complete

Inflation and Dark Energy

At the very beginning, the Universe exponentially expanded during a period known as the cosmic inflation. Recent studies suggested that the Universe has entered into another stage of expansion, considered to be caused by 'mysterious' dark energy. In this module, we will learn about inflation, dark energy, and the possible fates of our Universe....

8 videos (Total 77 min), 9 quizzes

8 videos

4-1 Inflation and Uncertainty Principle I (Inflation)15m

4-2 Inflation and Uncertainty Principle II (Uncertainty Principle I )12m

4-3 Inflation and Uncertainty Principle III (Uncertainty Principle II )10m

4-4 Fate of the Universe5m

4-5 Dark Energy9m

4-6 Big Rip6m

4-7 Future Observations11m

4-8 Wrap-up5m

9 practice exercises

Practice Quiz 4-12m

Practice Quiz 4-22m

Practice Quiz 4-32m

Graded Quiz 4-18m

Practice Quiz 4-42m

Practice Quiz 4-52m

Practice Quiz 4-62m

Practice Quiz 4-72m

Graded Quiz 4-26m

Instructor

Hitoshi Murayama

Director, Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU), Todai Institutes for Advanced Study (TODIAS)

About The University of Tokyo

The University of Tokyo was established in 1877 as the first national university in Japan. As a leading research university, UTokyo offers courses in essentially all academic disciplines at both undergraduate and graduate levels and conducts research across the full spectrum of academic activity....

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Once you enroll for a Certificate, you’ll have access to all videos, quizzes, and programming assignments (if applicable). Peer review assignments can only be submitted and reviewed once your session has begun. If you choose to explore the course without purchasing, you may not be able to access certain assignments.
What will I get if I pay for this course?
If you pay for this course, you will have access to all of the features and content you need to earn a Course Certificate. If you complete the course successfully, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. Note that the Course Certificate does not represent official academic credit from the partner institution offering the course.
What is the refund policy?
Is financial aid available?
Yes! Coursera provides financial aid to learners who would like to complete a course but cannot afford the course fee. To apply for aid, select "Learn more and apply" in the Financial Aid section below the "Enroll" button. You'll be prompted to complete a simple application; no other paperwork is required.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center

From the Big Bang to Dark Energy