Can a Telescope see backwards in time?

Summary

Who Smarted? – "Can a Telescope See Backwards in Time?" (Sept 15, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this lively and funny episode, the Who Smarted? team explores the fascinating world of telescopes—from their humble beginnings to today’s space-age marvels. Through a combination of time travel, character-driven storytelling, and interactive trivia, the show answers the big question: Can a telescope really "see backward in time"? Along the way, listeners discover how telescopes have shaped our understanding of the universe and just how far the James Webb Space Telescope can peer into the cosmic past.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: Visiting an Observatory

• The show opens with the trusty narrator at a space observatory at night, about to meet Skye, an astronomer.
• Engages listeners with a guessing game: Where is the narrator? An observatory!
• Quote (A, 00:21): “I’m about to look into an incredible instrument that will allow me to peer far out into space and see things way up close.”

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2. What Is an Astronomer? Role and Introduction to Telescopes

• Kids are asked to guess Skye’s job title—astronomer!
• Teases amazing recent advances in telescopes, especially the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
• Quote (B, 01:41): “So much has been happening in the study of space lately, thanks to the new James Webb Space Telescope.”

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3. The Invention of the Telescope: A Time-Travel History Lesson

• The hosts use a time machine app to take listeners back to 1608 in the Netherlands for the origin of the telescope.
• Hans Lippershey is introduced as the inventor:
  • His “Dutch perspective glasses” could magnify objects three times.
  • Quote (C, 05:22): “Hello. My name is Hans Lippisse… I built a device that can magnify objects three times, and I found a way to reduce the amount of light entering the scope in order to make my images clearer.”
• Many tried to patent similar devices, but Hans is often credited as the first.

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4. Key Innovators: Galileo, Kepler, and Newton

• Time jumps to 1609: Galileo improves telescope design, offering up to 9x magnification.
  • Galileo’s discoveries: Phases of Venus, Jupiter’s moons; supports heliocentric theory (planets orbit the Sun).
  • Quote (D, 07:14): “Ah, indeed I have [improved the telescope].”
• Johannes Kepler advances telescope power and discovers planets move in ellipses.
• Sir Isaac Newton invents the reflecting telescope using mirrors, allowing even sharper images.

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5. The Hubble Space Telescope: Modern Marvel

• Fast-forward to 1990: The launch of the “Large Space Telescope,” soon renamed Hubble, honoring Edwin Hubble.
  • Hubble’s impact: Measuring galaxy movement, pinpointing universe’s age (~13.8 billion years), discovering new moons of Pluto, and bringing iconic images like the Pillars of Creation.
  • Quote (B, 09:45): “The Hubble also helped pin down the age of the universe to be 13.8 billion years. That’s about three times older than the Earth.”
• Hubble is stationed 360 miles above Earth.

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6. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Seeing the Invisible Past

• JWST’s first images are described as “remarkable.”
• Listeners are quizzed: How far from Earth is JWST? Answer: 1 million miles.
  • Quote (B, 14:21): “The telescope is in sync with the Earth's elliptical orbit around the sun and is taking photos that are opposite the Earth and Sun, basically pointing out into space rather than facing us.”
• JWST sits at the “second Lagrange point” (L2), providing a perfect spot to study faint, distant cosmic objects.
  • Unique abilities:
    • Observes in infrared: detects things invisible to human eyes.
    • Can see through clouds of cosmic dust and gas, which previously blocked our view.
    • Uses 18 gold-plated hexagonal mirrors (like a honeycomb).
    • First images include the Carina Nebula: A star 150x the mass of the Sun and 4 million times brighter.
    • Quote (B, 15:32): “Imagine holding up a single grain of sand at arm's length, and within that single grain of sand are thousands of galaxies.”
  • Aims to spot the first stars and potentially life-friendly exoplanets.

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7. The Big Question: Can We Look Back in Time? (Main Theme)

• JWST can see 13.6 billion light years away—almost back to the Big Bang.
• Quote (B, 16:47): “Believe it or not, this telescope can see 13.6 billion light years in distance. Which means it can see just before…”
• Fun fact: Observing distant objects means we see their light as it was long ago—so, yes, telescopes let us “see back in time.”
• The story playfully ends with time-travel hijinks as historic astronomers appear in the present via the narrator's time machine.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• Narrator sets the scene:
  • “I’m about to look into an incredible instrument…” (A, 00:21)
• Introducing Hans Lippershey:
  • “Hello. My name is Hans Lippisse. I built a device that can magnify objects three times…” (C, 05:22)
• Galileo on his innovation:
  • “Ah, indeed I have [improved the telescope].” (D, 07:14)
• On JWST’s capabilities:
  • “Imagine holding up a single grain of sand at arm’s length, and within that single grain of sand are thousands of galaxies.” (B, 15:32)
• On seeing the dawn of time:
  • “Believe it or not, this telescope can see 13.6 billion light years in distance.” (B, 16:47)

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Important Timestamps by Segment

• 00:02–01:29 – Arriving at the observatory; introducing Skye and the day’s topic.
• 03:13–06:26 – Time travel to 1608; meeting Hans Lippershey and early telescope inventors.
• 06:36–08:28 – Galileo, Kepler, and Newton’s contributions.
• 09:09–10:52 – Hubble’s launch and legacy.
• 13:47–14:54 – Introduction to JWST and its special position in space.
• 14:54–16:25 – JWST’s technology and what it can see (infrared, structure, first images).
• 16:39–17:15 – Answering how far back in time telescopes can look.

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Tone & Engagement

• Lively and interactive: The hosts invite listeners to guess answers to trivia questions.
• Humorous and playful: Jokes about "the lavatory," SPF for the Carina Nebula, and time-traveling astronomers add levity.
• Accessible language: Complex scientific concepts are broken down into simple analogies (e.g., "a grain of sand at arm's length equals thousands of galaxies").
• Direct appeals to "smarty pants" listeners keep kids engaged and involved.

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Summary Takeaways

• Telescopes have revolutionized humanity’s understanding of the universe.
• Advances in technology—culminating in the James Webb Space Telescope—allow us to see deeper into space (and thus further back in time) than ever before.
• Through fun storytelling, the episode explains both the history and the “time machine” nature of telescopes—what we see in space is a snapshot of the past.

Perfect for curious kids, classroom listening, or fun family exploration of science, this episode is a stellar (pun intended) mix of learning and laughter!

Transcript

[A]

Hey, smarty pants. Trusty narrator here. Right now, I'm someplace super cool with an amazing view. See if you can guess where I am. Hint number one, it's nighttime. Hint number two, I'm at the top of an elevated area. Hint number three, I'm in a large dome shaped building with an open roof and a clear view of the night sky. And final hint, I'm about to look into an incredible instrument that will allow me to peer far out into space and see things way up close. So, any guesses where I am? Did you say a space observatory? Nice job if you got that. And if you said the lavatory, that's where I'm going next. Okay, next order of business. I'm here at the space observatory to visit my good friend, Sky. Besides having a super cool name, Skye also has a super cool job. She studies planets, stars, and other celestial bodies. Smartypants, what do you think her job is called? Is it A, an astronaut, B, a planetologist, or C, an astronomer? If you said C, an astronomer, you're right. Skye has graciously invited us all to the observatory to discuss telescopes and some of the progress being made in space exploration.

[B]

Why, hello there, trusty. Glad you and the smarty pants could make it.

[A]

Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss this for the entire universe. In fact, I was hoping to see some of the universe tonight.

[B]

And you shall. You know, you've come at a really unique period of time. So much has been happening in the study of space lately, thanks to the new James Webb Space Telescope.

[A]

For sure, the pictures that were transmitted from space are truly out of this world. Sorry, Smarties couldn't resist. But the truth is, thanks to technological advances, the telescopes of today can now see further and clearer in more detail than ever before.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

But before we jump into the what's new in the world of telescopes, let's take a big step back and answer some more basic questions. Like who invented the first telescope? And when? What were among the first things that humans discovered because of the telescope? And what have telescopes taught us about the origins of our universe? And just how far back in time can the James Webb telescope see? Get ready for another whiff of science and history on who smarted?

[C]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. Who's smart? And.

[A]

When you think of it, sky, it's pretty incredible how something as primitive as a hollowed out wooden tube with some glass placed inside eventually led scientists and Engineers to create something as massive as the telescope in this observatory. But what were the first telescopes like, and when were they invented?

[B]

Well, I could tell you. Or do you still have that time machine app?

[A]

I'm one step ahead of you. I've got my time machine app open, and I'm ready to go. There's just one problem. When should I set it for?

[B]

Hmm, that's a good question. Let's play a little guessing game with the smarty pants to figure out in which time period an early version of the telescope first appeared. Are you ready, smarty pants? Was it the 1500s? The time when Copernicus developed the theory that the sun was the center of our solar system? The 1600s, when Kepler developed his laws on how planets revolve around the sun? The 1700s, when it was discovered that there were ice caps on Mars? Or the 1800s when the planet Neptune was discovered? If you said the 1600s, you're right.

[A]

Nice job if you got that, smarty pants. So what year in the 1600s should I punch in? Skye?

[B]

Let's go with the year 1608 in Europe.

[A]

Got it. Here we are. 1608. Hmm. We seem to be at a conference of some kind. And from the serious sounding murmur sound effects we're playing, it sounds important. Where are we? Sky?

[B]

We're in the Netherlands, or as it was formally known back then, the Dutch Republic. That's a group of Dutch eyeglass makers comparing their handcrafted models of primitive telescopes that were all produced around the same time. However, credit for the first telescope often goes to that man over there.

[A]

Oh, look, he's coming over here.

[B]

Probably because you were waving to him.

[C]

Hello. My name is Hans Lippisse. I am a German Dutch glassmaker. I built a device that can magnify objects three times, and I found a way to reduce the amount of light entering the scope in order to make my images clearer.

[A]

Aha. So you essentially invented the telescope.

[C]

Telescope.

[B]

Back then, it was called Dutch perspective glasses.

[A]

Oh.

[B]

Also, while Hans submitted the first patent or claim for his invention, he was not the only one to do so. And because so many people applied for patents and because the judge decided the invention was easy to reproduce, all the patent claims were thrown out. But looking back now with the benefit of time, Hans Lippeshay is usually credited with inventing the first telescope.

[C]

Ooh, I feel a little better now.

[B]

Trusty dial in the year 16. 1609.

[A]

On it.

[B]

Ah.

[D]

Buongiorno. My name is Galileo Galilei.

[A]

Oh, wow, Galileo, you're a legend. Si.

[D]

And who are you?

[A]

I'm the trusty narrator from the WhoSmarted podcast. I'm from the Fu.

[B]

Trusty. Let's ixnay on the uterfae. Telling him we're from the future might be confusing and upsetting.

[A]

Good point, Sky. As I was saying, Galileo, you're a legend for your recent discoveries of Venus, different phases, and of Jupiter's four largest moons.

[B]

Also, we hear you've improved the design for the instrument now called a telescope.

[D]

Ah, indeed I have.

[B]

For one thing, you increased the magnification up to nine times when everyone else was stuck on two or three.

[D]

Guiltier as a judge.

[B]

Which helps you fortify your theory that the Earth and the planets circled the sun. What's known as the heliocentric model.

[D]

Que roba. That just happened. World certainly travels quickly these days.

[A]

You think that's fast, wait till you hear about the Internet.

[D]

What is the Internet?

[B]

Never mind. Gotta run. Byeee. Over the next few decades, other big names will have a hand in developing and improving upon Galileo's version of the telescope, furthering the knowledge of astronomy. Such as Johannes Kepler developed a telescope so powerful, he was able to determine that planets move in elliptical orbits around the sun and at different speeds. And Sir Isaac Newton.

[A]

Ooh, the gravity guy.

[C]

Ow. That apple fell on my head.

[B]

Yes, Newton pioneered the reflecting telescope which used a mirror to reflect the image in the tube. This helped produce a sharper image than the refracting telescopes which relied on glass lenses. Brilliant indeed. Okay, let's jump ahead to 1990. Set the date for April 24th and take us to the Kennedy Space center where we can witness the exact moment an enormous state of the art telescope was launched into space. In fact, for the first few decades after it was built, it was actually called the Large Space Telescope.

[A]

Seriously?

[B]

Yep. Let's see if the smarty pants can guess what name the Large Space Telescope was changed to in 1983. Is it a, the Hubba Telescope, B, the Bubba Telescope, or C, the Hubble Telescope?

[A]

Smarty pants. Did you say the Hubble Telescope? Nice.

[B]

It was named in honor of Edwin Hubble, whose theory proved there were other galaxies within the universe.

[A]

That's pretty cool.

[B]

Not only that, but these galaxies are moving away from our own Milky Way galaxy at increased speeds the further away they are. The Hubble also helped pin down the age of the universe to be 13.8 billion years. That's about three times older than the Earth. We're watching the Hubble telescope being transported into space about 360 miles above Earth. From here, the Hubble will discover two moons of Pluto, send back images of the Pillars of Creation, which are three enormous trunks of cosmic dust and gas, and help determine the rate in which the universe is expanding. But as amazing as the Hubble was, there's an even more technologically advanced telescope doing some even more amazing things today.

[A]

Yep, and we're going to hear all about it right after this quick break. WhoSmarted is brought to you by Squarespace. Now, you know I'm good about creating new adventures and episodes of WhoSmarted, but you don't know that I procrastinate on other stuff. I like a website for one of our new projects. Oops. When the website builder Squarespace reached out about sponsoring WhoSmarted, I decided to test it out. And now I feel silly for putting off building that website. Squarespace's blueprint AI thing literally built me a custom website in minutes. I just told it a few details about the project and boom. It generated everything. And everything you need is right there. I can schedule guest interviews, send email campaigns, even sell merch, all from one dashboard. Now it's your turn to stop procrastinating and start building. You can use Squarespace to launch that business site or any site that you've been dreaming about. But putting off today, there's no excuse anymore. Especially since you can head to squarespace.com smarted for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, you can use Code smarted to save 10% on your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted code smarted this episode is sponsored by IXL. Look, I know Back to school looks a little different when you're a homeschool family because maybe you're keeping up with your year round rhythm or maybe you're starting fresh with new plans and goals. Either way, it is the perfect time to reset, refresh and find tools that make life easier. That's where IXL comes in. IXCel is an award winning online learning platform that covers math, language arts, science and social studies from Pre K through 12th grade. It adjusts to your child's level, giving them just the right challenge at the right time. So learning feels motivating, not overwhelming. And what I love about IXL is how effortless it makes homeschooling. Everything is organized by grade and topic, so instead of hunting for lessons, you can jump straight into exactly what your child needs. And the real time feedback is a game changer. When kids make a mistake, IXL explains it instantly, helping them learn and move forward with Confidence. Plus, you can see their progress at a glance with detailed reports. Over 15 million students use IXL, and more than 75 studies show that it really works. So make an impact on your child's learning. Get IXL today. Who smarted listeners get an exclusive exclusive 20% off when you sign up at ixl.com whosmarted that's ixl.com whosmarbed now back to Whosmarted. And now back to the Space Observatory sky. I see you've projected some of the first images sent back from the James Webb Telescope.

[B]

Aren't they remarkable, smarty pants? Ask an adult if you can go online and check out some of the images yourself on NASA's website.

[A]

I hear the telescope is now orbiting the sun and is how far from Earth?

[B]

What do you think, smarty pants? Is the James Webb Space Telescope 1000 miles from Earth? 100,000 miles from Earth? A million miles from Earth or a billion miles from Earth, smarty pants?

[A]

If you said a million, you got it.

[B]

What's really cool is that the telescope is in sync with the Earth's elliptical orbit around the sun and is taking photos that are opposite the Earth and.

[A]

Sun, basically pointing out into space rather than facing us.

[B]

Exactly. The telescope has pretty much been parked in what's known as the second Lagrange point orbit, or L2 for short. Unlike anything else before it, this space telescope has the capacity to study extremely distant and incredibly faint wavelengths.

[A]

Meaning?

[B]

Meaning, rather than relying solely on viewing those wavelengths that make up the color spectrum, such as red, orange, yellow, green, and so on, it's capable of observing objects that appear off the spectrum, such as infrared.

[A]

Ah. So basically things that are invisible to the human eye. How cool is that? Whoa.

[B]

To give you some perspective, imagine holding up a single grain of sand at arm's length, and within that single grain of sand are thousands of galaxies.

[A]

That's almost too hard to comprehend.

[B]

What's also unique about this telescope is its ability to permeate or see through a all sorts of clouds, cosmic dust and gases. Those types of things have always obstructed our complete view of the universe. Until now.

[A]

Wow. How does it do that?

[B]

With its 18 gold plated hexagonal mirrors?

[A]

Ooh. It kind of looks like a honeycomb.

[B]

Yep. It can view light from stars that are literally being born and stars that are dying. One of the first photos sent back was of something called the Carina Nebula. It's a humongous star with a mass about 150 times that of the sun and about 4 million times brighter.

[A]

I'm gonna need a higher SPF sunscreen.

[B]

Scientists hope to observe the very first stars that made up our universe and maybe even detect conditions on some exoplanets, which are those that lie beyond our solar system.

[A]

That's amazing. Sky. One last question. How far back into time can this telescope actually look?

[B]

Great question, trustee. Believe it or not, this telescope can see 13.6 billion light years in distance. Which means it can see just before.

[A]

Before what, smarty pants? What event do we think occurred around then? I'll give you a hint. It's the thing that supposedly started it all. Did you say the Big Bang?

[B]

Yup. This telescope might be able to let us look beyond the creation of the universe.

[A]

Wow. If only Hans Lippershey, Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler and Sir Isaac Newton could see this.

[D]

We can. So preca we snuck inside your time machine applied.

[A]

Oh boy. We're going back. A sky high shout out to Brooks in Tyre, New York. Someone told us you think who Smarted is the perfect way to end every day and that you love sharing all the fun facts you learn with friends. We think that is the best way to spread the smarting. This episode Telescopes was written by Dave Deep Space Davis and voiced by Jenna Hubblehoben, Adam Scopes Davis, Max Convex Kamasky and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hyperspace Hahn. Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Saturn Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[C]

Who Smarted.