Science Channel and Morgan Freeman Invite Viewers to Journey THROUGH THE WORMHOLE

Majestic and mystifying, the universe holds mankind’s imagination like nothing else.  For thousands of years humans have struggled with and sought answers to its biggest mysteries.  Now, exclusively with Academy Award®-winning actor Morgan Freeman, Science Channel is introducing exciting, mind-blowing new ideas about who we are, where we come from and what lies beyond Earth in the provocative, all-new series THROUGH THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN, premiering Wednesday, June 9, 2010, at 10 PM (ET).

Is there a Creator?  What happened before the beginning?  What are we really made of?  What is a black hole?  THROUGH THE WORMHOLE links viewers to new, mind-bending possible answers to these questions that are sure to spark thoughtful debate.  From the latest work at NASA to the newest theories of academics and researchers, the series explores how astrobiology, string theory, quantum mechanics and astrophysics are pushing the boundaries of how we understand the universe and our place in it.

“Ever since childhood I’ve had a powerful fascination with the possibilities and wonders of the universe,” said Freeman.  ”THROUGH THE WORMHOLE pursues further knowledge of these great unknowns, providing a unique window into the exceptional minds, pioneering research and important theories of the people searching for answers.”

“Morgan and Revelations Entertainment are great partners for Science Channel,” said Debbie Myers, general manager and executive vice president, programming, Science Channel.  ”As the network continues growing, we’re eager to merge science with great storytelling in ways that inspire meaningful debate, and provoke viewers to reconsider the world in new, exciting ways.  THROUGH THE WORMHOLE delivers wholly on that strategy.”

In the premiere episode, THROUGH THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN considers one of the most controversial and philosophical ideas of our time:  ”Is there a Creator?”  Did our universe just come into being by random chance, or was it created by a God who nurtures and sustains all life?  The latest science is showing that the four forces governing our universe are phenomenally finely tuned, so finely that it has led many to the conclusion that someone, or something, must have calibrated them.  While skeptics hold that these findings are neither conclusive nor evidence of a divine creator, some cutting-edge physicists are already positing who this God is.

Each episode will ponder one great unknown by revealing innovative scientific research and astonishing theories of world-leading experts at the forefront of mankind’s search for answers.  THROUGH THE WORMHOLE taps the expertise of men and women from NASA, Oxford University, Conseil Europeen pour la Recherche Nucleaire (CERN), Arizona University, the SETI Institute, Penn State University, Princeton University, M.I.T., Fermilab National Laboratory and more.

THROUGH THE WORMHOLE WITH MORGAN FREEMAN airs weekly on Wednesdays at 10 PM (ET).  Upcoming episodes include:

What Happened Before the Beginning?

Every cosmologist and astronomer agrees the universe is 13.7 billion years old.  Using cutting-edge technology, scientists are now able to take a snapshot of the universe a mere heartbeat after its birth.  Armed with hypersensitive satellites, astronomers look back in time to the very moment of creation, when all the matter in the universe exploded into existence.  It is here that we uncover an unsolved mystery as old as time.  If the universe was born, where did it come from?

What Are We Really Made Of?

Our understanding of the universe and the nature of reality itself is on the verge of a seismic shift.  The goal of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN is nothing less than recreating the first instants of creation, when the universe was unimaginably hot and long-extinct forms of matter sizzled and cooled into stars, planets, and ultimately, humans.  What we find could validate our long-held theories about how the world works and what we are made of — or, all of our notions about the essence of what is real will fall apart.

Beyond the Darkness

Thirty years ago, scientists first realized that some unknown dark substance was affecting the way galaxies moved.  Today, they think there must be five times as much dark matter as regular matter out there.  But they have no idea what it is — only that it’s not made of atoms, or any other matter we are familiar with.  And dark matter is not the only strange substance in the universe — newly discovered force, called dark energy, seems to be pushing apart the very fabric of the cosmos.

Is Time Travel Possible?

Einstein’s world-shaking Theory of Relativity says that time travel is perfectly possible — if you’re going forward in time.  Finding a way to travel backward requires exceeding the speed of light, which so far seems impossible.  But now, strange-but-true phenomena such as quantum nonlocality (where particles instantly teleport across vast distances) may give us a way to make the dream of traveling back and forth through time a reality.

The Riddle of Black Holes

Black holes are the most powerful objects in the universe.  Nothing, not even light, can escape its gravitational pull.  Astronomers now think there are billions of them out in the cosmos, swallowing up planets, even entire stars in violent feeding frenzies. New theoretical research into the twisted reality of black holes suggests that three-dimensional space could be an illusion. That reality actually takes place on a two-dimensional hologram at the edge of the universe.

How Did We Get Here?

Everywhere we look…in the most hospitable of environments and in the most extreme…we find life.  On Earth, life exists everywhere.  Yet we have only ever found life on our planet.  How did the stuff of stars come together to create life as we know it?  What do we really mean by “life”?  And will unlocking this mystery help us find life elsewhere?

Are We Alone?

Aliens almost certainly do exist.  So why haven’t we yet met E.T.?  It turns out we’re only just developing instruments powerful enough to scan for them, and science sophisticated enough to know where to look.  As a result, the race is on to find the first intelligent aliens.   But what would they look like, and how would they interact with us if we met?

THROUGH THE WORMHOLE is produced by Revelations Entertainment and The Incubator.  Morgan Freeman and Lori McCreary are executive producers for Revelations Entertainment.  Simon Andreae and James Younger are executive producers for The Incubator.  Sara Kozak is executive producer for Science Channel.  Bernadette McDaid is vice president of production for Science Channel, and Debbie Myers is general manager and executive vice president of programming for Science Channel.

About Revelations Entertainment

Revelations Entertainment develops and produces commercially successful entertainment in all existing and emerging media that endeavors to enlighten express heart and glorify the human experience.  THROUGH THE WORMHOLE exemplifies Revelation’s Freeman and McCreary’s vision of leading a group of inspired professionals to develop and produce compelling human stories. Revelations Entertainment’s commitment to produce films that provoke imagination have enticed artists and fans alike. The team’s relationships with entertainment industry leaders combined with an expertise in digital technologies have attracted prominent investors to support the company’s slate of projects.

About The Incubator

The Incubator is a multi-award winning independent production company dedicated to unscripted shows that combine intelligence with broad appeal.  Recent projects include the BANFF World TV festival and New York Festival winner In The Womb, Discovery Channel‘s Science of Sex Appeal, David Sington‘s multi-award winning feature documentary In The Shadow of the Moon presented by Ron Howard, as well as the series Popular Science’s Future Of (Science Channel), Strange Rituals (History), My Shocking Story (TLC), Surgery Saved My Life (Discovery) and Jilted? (WEtv). To find out more, go to incubatortv.com

About Science Channel

Science Channel, a division of Discovery Communications, Inc. ( DISCA, DISCB, DISCK), is broadcast 24 hours a day and seven days a week to more than 66 million U.S. homes and simulcast on Science Channel HD.  We immerse viewers in the incredible possibilities of science, from string theory and futuristic cities to accidental discoveries and outrageous inventions.  We take things apart, peer inside and put things together in new and unexpected ways.  We celebrate the trials, errors and brinking moments that change our lives forever.  To find out more, go to sciencechannel.com.

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