Our earliest ancestors looked at the sky in awe and wondered about the threads that connect us to the canvas of the heavens. We are alive at the first moment in history when that story can be told not as speculation but through the critical eye of science. The Universe has proven to be far more remarkable than our ancestors could have imagined. The edifice of astronomy is beautiful and elegant and it profoundly alters our understanding of what it is to be human. The poet says that we are stardust but that is not poetry. It is literal truth. In this accessible and very personal presentation Dr. Hester shares not only his knowledge but his passion as well. “From the Big Bang to Big Brains” is a journey back to the origins of our Universe and through the mind of species capable of contemplating its own existence.