So a couple episodes ago, I talked on and on about how to destroy galaxies, and we had a lot of fun.

We tried to blow them up, tried to starve them out, tried to smash them together.

But at the end of the episode, I felt a little sad for the galaxies. I mean,

it wasn't their fault that they exist. They're the natural consequence of the various

forces that play in our universe. And so they did nothing wrong. Certainly not anything

worth destroying them over. So I wanted to revisit galaxies, and instead of tearing them down, I wanted to build

them up.

And as I was browsing the list of unanswered questions, of which there are over 600

unanswered questions, thank you so much for all the questions you keep sending me, I came

across a very interesting one, one that

I've never encountered before. Are new galaxies still forming in the universe? As in today,

right now. At this very moment, if we stared at a random patch of space in the cosmos and waited

long enough, would we see a galaxy

emerge? It turns out that the answer to this question is delightfully complicated, and it's

delightful because it has no clear yes or no answer, which I know what you're thinking. Paul,

it seems like rather straightforward, yes or no,. Which I know what you're thinking. Paul, it seems like rather straightforward.

Yes or no. Are galaxies forming today or not? Just answer the question. But listen, listen,

I didn't make the universe. I just work here. And I'm going to stick to my guns that the answer is

nuance and we have to be careful. I mean, I'll give away the game

for you because I'm in a generous mood. The ultimate answer is that galaxies kind of are still

appearing, but not in the way you might think of the ultimate answer is that galaxies are still

appearing, but only kind of, and not in the way you might think when you think of galaxies appearing.

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