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| Simons Center Della Pietra Lecture: Robert Kirshner |
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| Start Date: | 10/2/2012 | Start Time: | 5:30 PM |
| End Date: | 10/2/2012 | |
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Event Description
Robert Kirshner is the Clowes Professor of Science in the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University.
Title: A Nobel Surprise: The Accelerating Universe
General public lecture. All are welcome. Wine and Cheese Reception at 5:00 pm.
Abstract:
Observations of exploding stars halfway across the
Universe show that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up. This is
attributed to a pervasive "dark energy" whose properties we would
like to understand. It might be the same thing as Einstein’s
Cosmological Constant from 1917, which he later regarded as a great
blunder. Dr. Kirshner will show the evidence for cosmic acceleration, outline the
present state of knowledge on dark energy, and suggest some ways to find
out more about this deep cosmic mystery that lies at the heart of our
understanding of gravitation and of our cosmic destiny. The discovery
of cosmic acceleration using supernovae was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize
in Physics. |
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