>> Ted: THOSE STORIES AND MORE ARE NECESSITY ON ARIZONA HORIZON.

>> Announcer: THIS IS BY CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE FRIENDS OF PBS, MEMBERS OF YOUR PBS STATION.

THANK YOU.

>> Ted: WELCOME TO ARIZONA HORIZON.

I'M TED SIMONS.

SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION TOM HORN eFILED A LAWSUIT AND IT CALLS FOR A JUDICIAL DECLARATION THAT ALL SCHOOLS MUST REQUIRE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS TO BE TAUGHT IN ENGLISH AND NOT BY WAY OF DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS.

AN INITIATIVE PASSED 23 YEARS AGO REQUIRES NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS BE TAUGHT IN ENGLISH.

IN 2019, FORMER GOVERNOR, DOUG DUCEY SIGNED A LAW THAT ALLOWS FOR ENGLISH INSTRUCTION PROGRAMS INCLUDING DUAL LANGUAGE MODELS.

>>> BUCKEYE AND APACHE JUNCTION WILL RECEIVE MONEY FOR VARIOUS CONTROL AND IT WILL GO TO A FACILITY DESIGNED TO PROTECT HOMES AND RECHARGE AQUIFERS.

BUCKEYES ALLOT ALLOTMENT OF 4.5 WILL INCLUDE ROAD SAFETY AND IT COMES FROM THE 2021 INFRASTRUCTURE LAW.

>>> THEY'RE CALL ON THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO INCLUDE ARIZONA COURT OF APPEAL'S JUDGES IN STATE-WIDE RETENTION ELECTIONS.

THOSE ELECTIONS ARE LIMITED TO CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIC JURISDICTIONS.

THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS BECAUSE APPEAL'S COURT RULINGS AFFECT THE ENTIRE STATE, THE DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT TO KEEP THOSE JUDGES SHOULD BE A STATE-WIDE VOTE.

JUSTICE ANDREW GOULD IS ACTING FOR COUNSEL IN SUBMITTING THE PETITION.

>>> SOME ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES ARE SEEING AN UPTICK IN VIOLENCE.

ONE OF THE MORE SHOCKING CASES DEALT WITH TWO PATIENTS AT THE HANDS OF A PATIENT WITH DEMENTIA.

WE HAVE CAITLIN McGLADE AS THE AZ REPORTER.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

BOY, THIS IS A TROUBLING SITUATION.

THIS IS AN INVESTIGATIVE SERIES AND LOOKING INTO VIOLENCE IN GENERAL AT SOME OF THESE FACILITIES AND IF SO, WHY?

>> RIGHT.

SO THIS WHOLE THING STARTED ABOUT A YEAR OR SO AGO WHEN WE GOT WIND OF A RESIDENT AT BETHESDA GARDENS KILLED BY A WOMAN DOWN THE HALL WITH HANGERS AND THE WOMAN WAS SICK.

SHE HAD A LOT OF HEALTH ISSUES THAT WERE NOT TENDED TO AND HAD DEMENTIA.

AND AS A RESULT OF LEARNING ABOUT THAT, WE DECIDED TO BROADEN OUR SCOPE AND TALKED TO PEOPLE AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE RESIDENT ON RESIDENT CLASHES ALL OVER THE PLACE IN DEMENTIA WARDS.

A LOT OF IT GOES UNDER WRAPS BECAUSE THE FACILITIES DON'T HAVE TO REPORT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES WHEN RESIDENTS GET INJURED.

>> Ted: DOES IT SEEM LIKE IT'S ON THE INCREASE AND WE'RE SEEING MORE AS WE NO DOUBT GET MORE DEMENTIA PATIENTS IN.

>> THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR AWHILE AND WE LOOK TO THE SCOPE OF ABOUT THREE YEARS.

>> Ted: WHEN YOU LOOK OVER THIS, WHO DID YOU INTERVIEW?

FAMILY, STAFF, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS?

>> WE TALKED TO MANY DIFFERENT FAMILIES AND WE TALKED TO THE FAMILIES OF RESIDENTS WHO HURT PEOPLE AND WE TALKED TO THE FAMILY OF RESIDENTS WHO GOT HURT AND WE DID TALK TO CAREGIVERS WHO WORK IN THESE FACILITIES AND SOME OF WHOM WERE INJURED THEMSELVES AND ALSO, SOME ADMINISTRATORS.

>> Ted: CAREGIVERS, THE IMPACT BEING STRETCHED TOO THIN AND NOT PAID ENOUGH OR ADEQUATELY TRAINED, DID YOU FIND THAT IN THE INVESTIGATION?

>> YES.

DEMENTIA, THE RESIDENTS ARE NOT AGGRESSIVE OR VIOLENT AND MOST OF THE TIME WHEN A RESIDENT IS HURTING ANOTHER RESIDENT, IT'S A SYMPTOM OF POOR CARE, NEGLECT, STAFF THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO INTERACT WITH RESIDENTS THAT MAY BAGE BE AGITATED.

CAREGIVERS, LIKE YOU MENTIONED ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND UNDERTRAINED.

THEY HAVE TO HAVE THE -- THE STATE LAW REQUIRES SOMETHING AROUND SEVEN HOURS WORTH OF TRAINING TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE THE DIFFICULT BEHAVIORS ASSOCIATED WITH DEMENTIA.

SO THEY'RE GOING INTO ENVIRONMENTS WITH NOT A TON OF HELP AND BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

>> Ted: ONE OF THE SIMPLEST THINGS TO DO AS A CAREGIVER IS MAKING SURE THE MEDICATION IS ADDRESSED AND GIVEN AT THE PROPER TIMES.

THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE AND REALLY BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN.

>> RIGHT.

THE CASE THAT WE JUST WROTE ABOUT LAST WEEK INVOLVED A SITUATION WHERE A WOMAN WAS ADMITTED TO HERITAGE VILLAGE IN MESA WITH EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS FROM HER DAUGHTER NOT TO MISS HER LARAZAPAM AND SHE WAS WORRIED SHE MIGHT DO SOMETHING IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE MEDICINE.

A STAFF DIDN'T GIVE HER MEDICINE ONE NIGHT AND PULLED HER HER THIS OUT AND DIED.

>> Ted: THIS WOMAN TRANSFERRED THERE AFTER SHE WAS INVOLVED IN THE DEATH OF ANOTHER PATIENT, CORRECT?

>> RIGHT.

SO ANITA WENT TO HERITAGE VILLAGE IN MESA AND HAD AN INCIDENT WITH JOYCE AND THEN SHE, AFTER THAT, WAS TRANSFERRED AFTER A STINT IN A GERIATRIC PSYCH WARD AND TRANSFERRED TO BROOKDALE NORTH MESA WHERE THEY PUT HER WITH ANOTHER ROOMMATE.

>> Ted: THEY PUT HER WITH A 101-YEAR-OLD WOMAN?

>> YES.

>> Ted: WHAT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY IN ALL OF THIS?

>> SO THE FIRST FACILITY HAS NOT RESPONDED TO ME AND I DON'T KNOW -- THE RESPONSE IN COURT IS THAT THEY'RE NOT -- THAT ANITA AND HER DAUGHTER MAY BE TO BLOOM FOR JOYCE'S DEATH AND DENIED THE CAREGIVER'S MADE MISTAKES.

>> Ted: SO SOMEONE DIES AT THE FACILITY, BUT THE FACILITY SAYS NOT OUR FACILITY?

>> IN THE COURT FILINGS, THEY IS NOT SPOKEN TO ME.

>> Ted: IN THE SECOND FACILITY, WHAT ARE THEY SAYING ABOUT THAT SITUATION AND WHAT HAPPENED?

I MEAN, IN WAS A 101-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AND A VERY SIMILAR SITUATION OCCURRED.

>> SO, YES, SO ANITA MOVED IN WITH THIS WOMAN NAMED JENNY FISHER AND THE FAMILY HAD POSSIBLES.

THE FAMILY WAS COM PARK COMPASSIONATE.

SHE PUSHED HER MOM AND THE STAFF SAW ITAWAY IT.

THEY SAID ANITA WAS HARMLESS.

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENED WAS THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, STAFF FOUND JENNY ON THE FLOOR WITH A BROKEN ARM AND HEAD TRAUMA AND SAID ANITA HAD PUSHED HER.

THERE WERE NO WITNESSES, JUST TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.

AND THE CAUSE OF DEATH WAS NOT THE BROKEN ARM.

THE BROKEN ARM IS LISTED AS A POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTE CONTRIBUTEORY DEATH.

>> Ted: PEOPLE SHOULD BE RESTING AND ENJOYING THE REST OF THEIR LIFE AND NOT BEING KILLED IN THE FACILITY THEIR FAMILY PUT THEM IN.

WHAT IS THE STATE SAYING ABOUT ALL OF THIS?

>> SO THE STATE INVESTIGATED A COMPLAINT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO JENNY AT BROOKDALE AND EVIDENTLY FOUND NOTHING WRONG.

>> Ted: NOTHING WRONG?

>> THEY FOUND NO DEFICIENCIES AND CITED THE FACILITY FOR NOTHING.

>> Ted: WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE ARE YOU GETTING AWAY FROM THE FACILITY, OBVIOUSLY AWAY FROM THE FAMILY AND APPARENTLY AWAY FROM THE STATE?

IS ANYONE TAKING THIS SERIOUSLY, HEY, SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT HERE?

>> AARP, FOR SURE AND THEY'VE MET WITH ME AND WE TALKED ABOUT THESE STORIES AND THE REPRESENTATIVES ARE OUTRAGED BY THIS.

I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ATTENTION TO GET LEGISLATION OUT THAT IMPROVES SITUATIONS IN THESE FACILITIES.

>> Ted: I THINK AT ONE POINT YOU WROTE THE SYSTEM PROTECTS CORPORATIONS OVER SENIORS.

EXPLAIN, PLEASE.

>> SO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS.

ONE, ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES DON'T HAVE TO REPORT RESIDENT INJURIES TO THE DEPARTMENT THAT LICENSES THEM, ADHS.

SO UNLESS THERE IS A DEATH THAT IS UNEXPLAINED, RESIDENTS CAN HURT EACH OTHER PRETTY BAD AND THE AGENCY THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR QUALITY CONTROL DOESN'T HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT IT.

THAT'S WHY WE WENT THE POLICE REPORT ROUTE BECAUSE A LOT IS REPORTED TO POLICE.

SO THAT'S WITHIN OF THEM.

AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT, AS WE KNOW FROM THE AUDITS THAT HAVE BEEN HITTING ADHS IS THEIR LONG-TERM CARE BUREAU HAS IN THE PAST NOT INVESTIGATED COMPLAINTS.

AND THEY ARE IMPROVING THAT, BUT THAT'S OWN ON NURSING HOMES.

SO I'M NOT SURE TO WHAT DEGREE ASSISTED LIVING FACILITIES GET INVESTIGATED WHEN THERE ARE COMPLAINTS BECAUSE THINGS LIKE BROOKDALE WHERE A WOMAN MOVED INTO A FACILITY AFTER KILLING HER ROOMMATE THREE WEEKS PRIOR AND THERE'S AN INCIDENT THERE AND THE STATE FOUND NOTHING WRONG.

>> Ted: WHEN MORE PEOPLE SEE YOUR STORY AND HEAR ABOUT THE STORY, SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.

THAT JUST SOUNDS WRONG.

GREAT REPORTING ON THIS, CAITLIN McGLADE, FROM THE ARIZONA REPUBLICAN.

GREAT WORK AND THANKS FOR SHARING THE STORY.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Ted: UP NEXT ON ARIZONA HORIZON, HOW SENIOR CITIZENS CAN RECEIVE A DISCOUNT WHEN ADOPTING AN ANIMAL COMPANION >> Ted: TIME NOW FOR OUR REGULAR SERIES CALLED "TED KA ALES, WITH ANIMALS AROUND THE SITE AND HOW THERE'S A DISCOUNT FOR SENIORS CONSIDERING ADOPTING A PET.

WITH WELCOME TAYLOR MICHAEL AND THIS IS JACKIE, RIGHT?

>> YES.

>> Ted: JACKIE WAS QUIET UNTIL WE GOT ON THE AIR.

[ Laughter ] >> Ted: LET'S TALK ABOUT FOR SENIORS.

HOW DOES THIS WORK?

>> THE ARIZONA HUMANE SOCIETY IS OFFERING A 20% SENIOR CITIZEN COUNT TO ANY ADOPTERS 65 YEARS AND OLDER ARE ABLE TO ADOPT WITH A 20% DISCOUNT FOR ALL OF THE ADOPTABLE PETS INCLUDING LITTLE JACKIE.

>> Ted: LITTLE JACKIE IS AVAILABLE, HUH?

>> YES, SHE IS.

>> Ted: NOW SHE'S ON CAMERA AND EVERYTHING IS GOING CRAZY HERE.

HAVING A PET FOR SENIORS, THE MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH BENEFITS.

>> THERE'S MANY HEALTH BENEFITS SUCH AS LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE, IMPROVED HEART HEALTH AND HELPS WITH LONELINESS AND REDUCING SOCIETY.

>> Ted: IT HELPS WITH YOUR COORDINATION, TOO.

IF YOU HAVE A DOG, YOU HAVE TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE EVENTUALLY.

>> MORE ACTIVE AND MORE SOCIAL.

>> Ted: WE'VE SEEN STUDIES WITH MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH WITH ANIMALS.

>> WITH ANIMALS, THEY PROVIDE COMFORT AND HELP WITH LONELINESS.

>> Ted: IT'S A BIG DEAL TO HELP YOU TAKE CARE OF SOMEONE.

>> YES.

>> Ted: LOOK AT JACKIE IS SETTLING AND THIS IS WHAT YOU WANTED, A BEAUTY SHOT?

[ Laughter ] >> Ted: WHEN DID THIS START, BY THE WAY, THIS PROGRAM?

>> ABOUT A WEEK AGO AND IT'S GOING TO BE A THING FOR AWHILE, SO WE'LL HAVE ALWAYS 20% SENIOR DISCOUNTS.

>> Ted: JUST PERPETUITY?

>> YES.

WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ADOPTION SPECIAL AND THAT'S THROUGH THIS SUNDAY.

>> Ted: HOLD ON A SECOND.

I NEED TO ADJUST.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING?

YOU WANT TO HOLD ONTO HER WHILE I PUT MY MICROPHONE BACK ON.

[ Laughter ] >> Ted: LITTLE SON OF A GUN THERE, JACKIE.

WHAT KIND OF RESPONSE ARE YOU EXPECTING FROM THIS?

>> WE'RE HOPING TO SEE THIS HELP A LOT, ADOPT A LOT MORE PETS AND HAVING THE ADOPTION SPECIAL GOING ON, AS WELL, AND HOPING TO SEE A BIG INCREASE TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL KENNEL SPACE FOR US.

RIGHT NOW KENNEL SPACE IS AN ISSUE, SO BY ADOPTING OUT MORE PETS HELPS TO SAVE MORE FUTURE PETS.

>> Ted: HOW COME SHE IS REACTING SO NICELY FOR YOU AND A CRAZY PERSON WITH ME?

[ Laughter ] >> I DON'T KNOW.

>> Ted: JACKIE HAS EXPLAINING TO DO.

WHAT ARE YOU SEEING AS FAR AS ADOPTIONS?

IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALWAYS FULL.

>> DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, IT'S FULL, WHERE WE TAKE IN MORE CASES AND EVERYTHING BUT WE DO ADOPTION SPECIALS TO PLACE THEM IN HOMES TO TAKE IN MORE ANIMALS.

>> Ted: ARE THERE TIMES OF THE YEAR WHERE THINGS FILL UP AND -- SEE, NOW SHE ACTING UP.

I DON'T FEEL SO BAD ANYMORE.

>> SUMMERS THE BUSY TIME, THE KITTEN SEASON AROUND APRIL TIME FRAME AND GOES UNTIL NOVEMBER AND SO WE'RE GETTING CUTE LITTLE ONES THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.

>> Ted: JACKIE IS HOW OLD?

>> NINE WEEKS OLD.

>> Ted: YOU START ADOPTING AT EIGHT WEEKS?

>> EIGHT OR NINE WEEKS.

IT DEPENDS ABOUT THEIR WEIGHT AND SHE CAME IN AS A SICK STRAY AND SPENT TIME WITH FOSTER HEROS UNTIL SHE WAS HEALTHY FOR ADOPTION.

>> Ted: THE FOSTER CARE, THAT'S A BIG DEAL, ISN'T IT?

>> YES, OUR AMAZING FOSTER HEROES AND THIS LITTLE ONE INTO THEIR HOMES AND PROVIDING A HOME FOR THEM AND IF THERE'S ANY MEDICAL CONCERNS THAT THEY NEED HELP WITH, OUR FOSTER HEROES ARE EVERYTHING FOR US.

>> Ted: JACKIE IS A HANDFUL, LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY AND SHE'S AVAILABLE, ISN'T SHE?

>> AVAILABLE AT PET SCOTT HOMETOWN LOCATION.

>> Ted: IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE, WHERE DO YOU FIND OUT?

>> YOU CAN FIND OUT MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE AVAILABLE PETS AT AZHUMANE.ORG/ADOPT.

>> Ted: THERE WE GO, ADOPT A PET AND THE WEBSITE AND THERE IT IS.

TAYLOR, THANK YOU FOR STOPPING BY AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING JACKIE.

WE HAVE A LOT OF PETS AND SHE HAS BEEN THE MOST RAMBUNCTIOUS AS ALL.

I THINK SHE'S A STAR.

>> I THINK SO, TOO.

>> Ted: THANKS FOR JOINING US >> IT WASN'T UNTIL MIDDLE SCHOOL I STARTED WRITING SONGS TO PROCESS WHAT I WAS FEELING AND NOW THAT I'M OLDER, THAT'S, LIKE, REALLY, REALLY WHAT SONG WRITING HAS BECOME FOR ME.

>> Ted: THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE RECENTLY CAPTURED NEW IMAGES OF A GALAXY CLUSTER CALLED EL GORD AND WE HAVE DR. PATRICK KAMIENESKI.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THIS IS A CLUSTER OF GALAXIES DISCOVERED, THINK, ABOUT A DECADE AGO IT'S ONE OF THE MOST MASSIVE GALAXY CLUSTERS THAT WE KNOW OF IN THE UNIVERSE.

>> Ted: HOW FAR AWAY?

>> THE CLUSTER IS ABOUT -- THE LIGHT FROM THIS GALAXY CLUSTER TAKES SIX BILLION YEARS TO REACH US.

>> Ted: I FIND THAT IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPREHEND.

WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW AND HERE OCCURRED SIX BILLION YEARS AGO.

>> YES.

IN FACT, THERE ARE GALAXIES IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE CLUSTER OF GALAXIES, SO EVEN FURTHER AND BACK IF TIME.

>> Ted: HERE IS ONE OF THE IMAGES.

WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT?

>> THIS IS THE EL GORDO CLUSTER AND THERE ARE MORE YELLOWISH GALAXIES AND REDDER GALAXIES IN THE BACKGROUND.

AND THOSE RED DISTANT GALAXIES ARE ACTUALLY GOING SORT OF AROUND THE FOREGROUND CLUSTER OF GALAXIES AND GETTING GRAVITATIONALLY LENSED.

>> Ted: WE'RE NOT TALKING STARS OR PLANETS.

THESE ARE ALL MILKY WAYS OUT THERE.

>> YOU CAN SEE SO MANY IMAGES AND JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING YOU SEE IN IMAGE IS ITS OWN GALAXY.

>> Ted: LET'S GO TO THAT IMAGE AND ON THE RIGHT THERE, THERE'S A LITTLE HOOKY THING AND WHAT IS THAT?

>> EXACTLY.

WE'VE NAMED THIS OR NICKNAMED THIS ELLESWALO FOR THE "FISHHOOK."

WE'VE KEPT THE THEME WITH THE SPANISH NAMING AND THIS IS ACTUALLY TEN BILLION YEARS IN THE PAST.

AND WE'RE SEEING IT WRAPPED AROUND A GALAXY, A FEW GALAXIES IN THE FOREGROUND.

AND SO, THIS IS HISTORIC AND MAGNIFIES IT AND THAT'S GREAT FOR US BECAUSE WE CAN USE THAT TO ZOOM IN ON THIS GALAXY.

>> Ted: WE CAN ZOOM IN ON THE FISH HOOK IN A SECOND BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE -- THERE WE GO.

LOOK AT THAT THING!

THAT'S JUST REMARKABLE.

>> YEAH.

IT JUMPS OUT RIGHT AWAY AND THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE NOTICED WHEN WE LOOKED AT THIS IMAGE IS HOW REMARKABLY RED AND VERY IMPRESSIVE, THESE OBJECTS, TEND TO BE.

>> Ted: ARE WE LOOKING AT THEIR GALAXIES, PLANETS AND WHAT'S BEING FORMED THERE?

>> SO THIS IS A GALAXY THAT ACTIVELY FORMING STARS.

OUR MILKY WAY GALAXY STORMS ABOUT ONE NEW STAR A YEAR AND THESE ARE FORMING HUNDREDS AND EVEN THOUSANDS IN SOLAR MASSES A YEAR.

THEY'RE SO MUCH MORE ACTIVE THAN THE MILKY WAY AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING THEM AT A TIME WHEN ALL GALAXIES IN THE UNIVERSE WERE MORE ACTIVE.

>> Ted: THEY ARE DOING THIS, TECHNICALLY THEY WERE DOING THIS.

IF YOU STEAK TAKE A SNAPSHOT, WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, RIGHT?

>> IT'S A COMPLICATED THING WE DO IN ASTRONOMY AND LOOKING MORE IN THE PAST.

THAT'S ONE THING I'M INTERESTED IN, IS SEEING HOW THEY EVOLVED AND WERE IN THE PAST TO PRESENT DAY.

>> Ted: AS FAR AS EL GORDO, GIVE US MORE ABOUT THE MAGNIFYING EFFECT OF EL GORDO.

>> INTHIS EFFECT IS NOT MUCH MORE THAN A GLASS AND WRAPS THE LIGHT FROM THE BACKGROUND AND DISTORTS IT AND MAGNIFIES IT IN A WAY AND JUST THE GRAVITY OF THE FOREGROUND GALAXIES IS CAUSING THE LIGHT TO DISTORT AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF RELATIVELY PREDICTED.

WE CAN SEE HOW THEY GET DISTORTED AND UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE CLUSTER, THE GALAXY CLUSTER IN THE FRONT AND THE BACKGROUND GALAXY.

>> Ted: THE BACKGROUND GALAXIES ARE MORE DIFFICULT AND THERE ARE THINGS BACK THERE THAT ARE OLDER, CORRECT?

>> YES.

WE'RE LOOKING TO ONLY A FEW BILLION YEARS AND I KNOW THAT SOUNDS STRANGE FROM AN ASTRONOMER, BUT A FEW BILLION YEARS AFTER THE BIG BANG AND OBJECTS THAT ARE EARLY.

SOME OF THE FIRST GALAXIES THAT WERE FORMED IN THE UNIVERSE WHICH IS A REMARKABLE OPPORTUNITY WE GET.

>> Ted: BUT THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE, I MEAN, THIS IS AMAZING AND ARE YOU AMAZED AT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING?

>> YES.

THIS TELESCOPE WAS IN DEVELOPMENT FOR SO MANY YEARS AND TO BE AT THIS POINT IN MY CAREER WHERE I CAN, YOU KNOW, USE THESE IMAGES AND DIG INTO THIS DATA, THIS IS INCREDIBLE.

I THINK THIS IS IMPRESSIVE FOR EVERYONE, BUT ASTRONOMERS ARE PLEASED WITH THE TELESCOPE.

>> Ted: WHEN YOU DIG INTO THE INFORMATION, WHAT ARE YOU STUDYING?

>> I TEND TO STUDY, ACTUALLY, SOMETHING THAT THIS GALAXY CLUSTER HAS IN TWO PARTS, BOTH GRAVITATIONAL LENSING AND THESE DUSTY, STAR-FORMING GLANCES.

GALAXIES.

THIS IS GRAVITATIONAL LENSING AND LEARNING ABOUT THEM.

>> Ted: IS IT CHANGING THE CONVENTIONAL THOUGHT OR CONFIRMING WHAT WAS HYPOTHESIZED?

>> IT'S DOING A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.

WE WANTED TO SEE THAT WE HAVE SOME THEORIES THAT AREN'T QUITE RIGHT.

WE HAVE NEVER REALLY BEEN ABLE TO SEE THIS FAR BACK IN SUCH DETAIL INTO THE EARLY, YOU KNOW, TIMES OF THE UNIVERSE.

SO I THINK WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT TIMES THAT WE HAVE NEVER BEEN ABLE TO ACCESS BEFORE.

BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING A LOT OF CONFIRMATIONS, THINGS WE EXPECTED.

>> Ted: ARE WE JUST GOING TO GET THIS KIND OF STUFF HERE?

IT SEEMS LIKE THE SURPRISES WILL HAVE TO END EVENTUALLY, WON'T THEY?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

I THINK EVERY TIME THE JAMES WEBB TELESCOPE RELEASES A NEW IMAGE, I HAVE TO SIT AND MARVEL AT IT.

I THINK IT'S A TREASURE TROVE OF THINGS THAT ARE PLEASING TO LOOK AT BUT SO MUCH SCIENCE.

I MEAN, EVERY IMAGE COULD HAVE A WHOLE PH.D. DISSERTATION OF RESEARCH.

>> Ted: LAST QUESTION, IS IT CHANGING HOW ASTRONOMY IS TAUGHT?

I THINK SO.

I THINK ASTRONOMY IS SO IMPORTANT TO GET PEOPLE CURIOUS AND EVEN FROM YOUNG AGES, PEOPLE CAN GET CURIOUS ABOUT ASTRONOMY AND THIS IS A BIG PART OF HOW TO HAVE THAT OUTREACH AND GET NEW PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ASTRONOMY AND REACH OUT TO YOUNGER GENERATIONS WHO WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME ASTRONOMERS THEMSELVES.

>> Ted: THANK YOU FOR SHARING THIS WITH US.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

>> THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> Ted: THAT'S IT FOR NOW.

I'M TED SIMONS AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

YOU HAVE A GREAT EVENING.