A physicist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) Dr. Linus Labik has featured in an international science programme exploring one of the most profound questions in astrophysics: what keeps the universe in balance?
Dr. Labik contributed expert insights to an episode of CrowdScience aired on March 6, 2026, where scientists examined whether cosmic processes exist that maintain chemical balance across the universe.
The episode was inspired by a question from a listener in Ghana who wondered whether the universe maintains equilibrium in the same way biological systems on Earth do. While stars burn hydrogen to produce helium, the listener asked if there might be processes that reverse the reaction, converting helium back into hydrogen to sustain balance in the cosmos.
To explore the question, programme presenter Alex Lathbridge travelled across Ghana and spoke with scientists working in astronomy and physics.
At KNUST, Dr. Labik explained the atomic and nuclear processes that power stars and drive the evolution of matter in the universe. His contribution helped clarify how hydrogen fusion within stars creates heavier elements and why the universe does not operate through simple chemical cycles comparable to those found in ecosystems on Earth.
The programme also visited the Ghana Radio Astronomy Observatory near Accra, where astrophysicist Dr. Proven Adzri discussed the earliest moments after the Big Bang and the origins of the first stars.
The exploration culminated beneath the night skies of Kakum National Park, where local guides shared cultural interpretations of the stars, highlighting how astronomy intersects with both science and human storytelling.
