Astronomers measure helium from the Universe's first five minutes

What BBN said about it

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentAstronomers have measured how much helium formed in the first five minutes after the Big Bang, and they got it three times more precise than before, ScienceDaily reports.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorFive minutes. The Universe was five minutes old and somebody went back to check its work. Finally, a reviewer with patience.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThey used one hundred thirty hours of observations on the Large Binocular Telescope, and they got the uncertainty down to half a percent.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorAnd here's the part that gets me.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorProfessor Evan Skillman says the team promised half a percent in the proposal, and that doesn't happen very often in science.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentThey said a number and then hit the number.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorKept their word! I need a tissue. Their spectrographs took twelve years to build, and they just kept going.

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   Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentOkay, I'd rate that pep talk a solid eight, but the crying ruins the audio.

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   Vera Bullock · Co-AnchorRichard Pogge of Ohio State said it's not every day you can help build instruments that measure something fundamental about our Universe. I'm framing that.

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    Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentTwelve years, five papers, one hundred thirty hours of sky. I once missed a Tuesday upload and called it a hiatus.