The Most Unknown (2018) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

The Most Unknown explores nine scientists' journeys to answer profound questions about the origins of life, the nature of consciousness, the concept of time, and the extent of human knowledge about the universe. Each researcher brings a different specialty, from microbiology to astrophysics to cognitive psychology, creating a collaborative quest that spans multiple scientific disciplines.

Foreshadowing: The documentary opens by introducing nine scientists, each representing a different field of inquiry.

• origins of life
• consciousness
• time
• universe
• scientific discovery

The documentary emphasizes interdisciplinary collaboration as essential to modern scientific discovery. By having each scientist visit another researcher in an unfamiliar field, the film shows how breakthroughs often occur at the intersection of different disciplines. This structure reinforces that complex questions about life and the universe require multiple perspectives.

Foreshadowing: The introduction explicitly highlights interdisciplinary collaboration as a core theme.

• interdisciplinary collaboration
• scientists
• research
• field crossover

Jennifer L. Macalady discovered evidence of ancient microbial life dating back millions of years in Italy's Frasassi Caves. She highlights that while there are approximately 35 billion microbial species on Earth, humanity has identified only about one million, a tiny fraction of microbial diversity that remains largely unknown.

Foreshadowing: The cave discovery occurs early in the documentary, establishing the theme of unexplored life.

• microbial life
• Frasassi Caves
• bacteria
• ancient life

Dark matter constitutes approximately 85% of the universe yet remains undetected by direct observation. Davide D'Angelo explains its significance: understanding dark matter is crucial because it represents the vast majority of what makes up the cosmos, leaving most of the universe's composition unknown to science.

Foreshadowing: Jennifer meets Davide after her cave exploration, linking microbial unknowns to cosmic unknowns.

• dark matter
• universe
• cosmic
• physics
• 85 percent

In Brussels, Davide D'Angelo attempted to control a robotic hand using only his thoughts, as part of Axel Cleeremans's research into consciousness. This brain-computer interface experiment aimed to explore how consciousness might be measured and defined, contributing to the broader question of what constitutes conscious experience.

Foreshadowing: The experiment follows their discussion about the difficulty of defining consciousness.

• robotics
• consciousness
• brain computer interface
• thoughts

Cognitive psychologist Axel Cleeremans investigates consciousness because it remains one of science's most elusive concepts. He expresses frustration that the study of consciousness is progressing too slowly, noting that understanding how awareness emerges is fundamental to understanding what it means to be human.

Foreshadowing: This segment follows Davide's work on dark matter, connecting cosmic and cognitive mysteries.

• consciousness
• awareness
• cognitive psychology
• mind

Astrobiologist Luke McKay studies hot springs in Nevada's Black Rock Desert because these environments mirror conditions that may exist on other planets. By understanding how life thrives in extreme conditions on Earth, scientists can better identify where to look for life beyond our planet and understand the potential origins of life in the universe.

Foreshadowing: Axel travels to meet Luke after discussing consciousness, shifting from internal to external exploration.

• astrobiology
• extraterrestrial life
• hot springs
• aliens
• space

Astrophysicist Rachel L. Smith studies star formation by examining carbon monoxide signatures in gaseous clouds in Hawai'i. Her work at high-elevation telescopes helps scientists understand how stars develop from cosmic gas, revealing the processes that create the building blocks of planetary systems.

Foreshadowing: Luke travels to Hawai'i to meet Rachel, connecting Earth-based research to cosmic phenomena.

• star formation
• astrophysics
• gas clouds
• astronomy
• stars

Victoria Orphan investigates deep ocean ecosystems rich in microbial life that prevent significant amounts of methane gas from entering the atmosphere. These microbes play a critical role in regulating climate by consuming methane that would otherwise contribute to global warming, revealing how much remains unknown about ocean depths.

Foreshadowing: Rachel meets Victoria in Hawai'i, linking cosmic and environmental research.

• ocean microbes
• methane
• deep sea
• climate
• ecosystem

Physicist Jun Ye works with strontium atomic clocks so precise they can detect variations in time caused by massive objects. His research demonstrates that time is not uniform throughout the universe, it can be stretched or compressed by gravity, revealing that time itself is more complex than everyday experience suggests.

Foreshadowing: Victoria travels to Colorado to meet Jun, shifting from biological to physical concepts.

• atomic clocks
• time
• quantum physics
• gravity
• physics

Neuroscientist Anil Seth studies time perception because our experience of time does not match objective reality, time can feel slow or fast depending on circumstances. He explores whether perception of time changes with age and argues that cognitive limitations may always prevent humans from fully understanding concepts like time and consciousness.

Foreshadowing: Jun travels to the UK to meet Anil, connecting physics to neuroscience.

• time perception
• neuroscience
• brain
• aging
• consciousness

Laurie Santos studies free-range monkeys in Puerto Rico to understand the evolutionary roots of human cognition. By conducting experiments on how monkeys respond to various stimuli, she provides insights into which cognitive abilities are uniquely human and which share deeper evolutionary origins with other primates.

Foreshadowing: Anil meets Laurie at Yale, completing the journey from physics back to biology.

• monkeys
• cognition
• evolution
• primates
• Yale
• psychology

The reunion between Laurie Santos and Jennifer L. Macalady creates a full-circle narrative that emphasizes the interconnected nature of scientific exploration. Despite studying vastly different subjects, monkey cognition and ancient microbes, both are driven by the same fundamental quest to understand life's mysteries, reinforcing the documentary's message that all scientific inquiry is connected.

Foreshadowing: The final scene deliberately echoes the opening introduction of scientists.

• reunion
• interconnection
• scientists
• collaboration
• narrative