Cosmic strings may be ultra-thin defects in spacetime—relic “cracks” from the early universe. How we’d detect them, what they mean for physics, and how aliens might exploit them.

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Credits:
Cosmic Strings – Cracks in the Fabric of the Universe
Written, Produced & Narrated by: Isaac Arthur
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images

Chapters
0:00 Intro – Cracks in the Fabric of the Universe
6:11 From Defects to Cosmic Strings
13:31 Civilizations and Cosmic Strings: Tools, Traps, and Temptations
19:43 Nebula
20:39 Cousins, Confusions, and What a Discovery Would Mean