How the Universe Works — 2010-2023 · 11 seasons · 98 eps

★ 8.9

How the Universe Works poster

How the Universe Works

2010-2023 11 seasons 98 episodes

★ 8.9 (7,653 votes) Top 7%

A users' guide to the cosmos, from the Big Bang to galaxies, stars, planets and moons: where did it all come from and how does it all fit together? A primer for anyone who has ever looked up at the night sky and wondered.

Episode Ratings Grid

Every episode at a glance, color-coded by rating. Rows are episode numbers within each season, columns are seasons.

Size: M

S1

S2

S3

S4

S5

S6

S7

S8

S9

S10

S11

E1

8.1

7.8

8.2

8.2

8.6

8.9

8.8

8.1

9.0

8.6

8.4

E2

8.3

8.0

8.7

8.1

8.5

8.5

8.7

8.1

8.5

8.4

8.5

E3

8.3

8.0

8.5

8.7

8.4

8.5

8.5

8.1

8.6

8.7

8.0

E4

8.3

7.8

8.4

8.7

8.5

8.3

8.3

8.6

7.9

8.7

7.6

E5

8.2

8.1

8.5

8.6

8.4

8.5

8.4

8.6

8.4

8.8

8.2

E6

8.2

8.2

8.4

8.5

8.4

8.4

8.6

8.6

8.4

8.9

E7

8.1

8.2

8.4

8.6

8.2

8.7

8.4

8.9

8.5

E8

8.3

8.4

8.6

8.5

8.1

8.7

8.4

8.6

8.5

E9

8.5

8.2

8.5

8.6

8.6

8.1

E10

8.8

8.8

9.0

8.5

E11

9.4

8.4

E12

9.0

E13

8.7

E14

9.2

Avg

8.2

8.1

8.5

8.5

8.4

8.6

8.5

8.7

8.4

8.7

8.1

Excellent

Great

Good

Episode Power Rankings

The best and worst episodes at a glance. Use this to find must-watch episodes or ones you might want to skip.

🏆 Top Episodes

#1 9.4

S8E11 Mysteries of Alien Stars

#2

S8E14 9.2

Forces of the Unknown

#3

S8E10 9.0

Pluto's Strangest Secrets

4. S8E12 "Asteroid Apocalypse" 9.0
5. S9E1 "Journey to a Black Hole" 9.0
6. S6E1 "Are black holes real" 8.9
7. S8E7 "Edge of the Universe" 8.9
8. S10E6 "Voyager's Ultimate Mission" 8.9
9. S6E10 "Mystery of Spacetime" 8.8
10. S7E1 "Nightmares of Neutron Stars" 8.8

📉 Bottom Episodes

#98

S11E4 7.6

Countdown to Catastrophe

In a fictional scenario set in 2029, an asteroid hurtling towards Earth at 40,000 mph will reduce New York to ashes; examining the hypothetical, experts weigh in to determine what could happen, and how it might be stopped.

97. S2E4 "Megaflares - Cosmic Firestorms" 7.8
96. S2E1 "Volcanoes" 7.8
95. S9E4 "Aliens Of The Microcosmos" 7.9
94. S11E3 "The Most Violent Event in the Universe" 8.0

The Quality Arc

Each point is an episode, plotted chronologically. The colored bands mark season boundaries. Look for upward or downward trends to see if quality improved or declined over time.

Trend

Episode Engagement

Vote count shows how many people cared enough to rate. High votes + high rating = beloved classic. High votes + low rating = notorious stinker. Low votes + high rating = hidden gem.

Rating threshold:

50 Standouts

0 Infamous

48 Hidden Gems

0 Forgettable

Top Standout: S1E2 Black Holes

Best Hidden Gem: S8E11 Mysteries of Alien Stars

Episodes plotted by rating vs. vote count. The vertical line marks the rating threshold (7.5). More votes = more engagement. Toggle above to compare against global or show-specific median.

Series Trajectory

A simplified view: one point per season. This smooths out episode-to-episode noise to show the overall arc of the series.

Trend

Season Momentum

Did each season build momentum or fizzle out? Green arrows mean the finale rated higher than the premiere. Red means the opposite. Longer arrows = bigger swings.

Season Consistency

Some seasons are reliable bangers. Others are hit-or-miss. Each dot is an episode. Tightly clustered dots mean consistent quality. Scattered dots mean a mixed bag.

Each dot is an episode. Clustered dots = consistent quality. Scattered dots = variable season. Hover for episode details.