Fall 2009

Eric Chaisson - October 13, 2009
Cosmic Evolution: The Rise of Complexity in Nature

Using astronomical telescopes and biological microscopes, among a virtual arsenal of other tools of high technology, modern scientists are weaving a thread of understanding spanning the origin, existence, and destiny of all things. Now emerging is a unified scenario of the cosmos, including ourselves as sentient beings, based on the time-honored concept of change. From galaxies to snowflakes, from stars and planets to life itself, we are beginning to identify an underlying, ubiquitous pattern penetrating the fabric of all the natural sciences--a sweepingly encompassing view of the order and structure of every known class of object in our richly endowed Universe.

Michael Turner - November 10, 2009
"The Dark Side of the Universe: Beyond stars and the starstuff we are made of"

The sky is filled with hundreds of billions of galaxies, all lit up by their stars. But, stars account for less than one percent of the material in the Universe, and galaxies are held together by a new form of matter -- dark matter -- that accounts for 1/3 of the stuff in the Universe. The other 2/3 exists as in an even more mysterious form -- dark energy -- and is causing the expansion of the Universe to speed up, rather than slow down.

Owen Gingerich - December 8, 2009
"Kepler, Galileo, and the Birth of Modern Astronomy"

2009 is the 400th anniversary of Kepler's Astronomia nova, and of the first astronomical use of the telescope, especially by Galileo. I will argue that more important than Kepler's elliptical orbits and the law of areas was his pioneering insistence on astronomy based on physical causes. Particularly remarkable about Galileo's use of the telescope was the way in which he used his observations to challenge the traditional geocentric cosmology. In very different fashions these two contemporary astronomers hastened the astronomical revolution and became the fathers of modern astronomy.

Notable Speakers from Previous Lectures

Dava Sobel - October 9, 2008
"Galileo and the International Year of Astronomy"

In October 1609, using his own handmade telescope, Galileo initiated the string of discoveries that opened the heavens to scientific scrutiny. In 2009, everyone--not just astronomy buffs, but non-astronomers with no prior experience or interest in the subject--will be able to see all the things Galileo saw, from the phases of Venus to the moons of Jupiter.

Also: Unveiling of Historic remake of "Dedication of the Dudley Observatory"

Prof. John Delano - November 13, 2008
“NASA’s search for life in the Universe”

Is life common, or is it rare, in the Universe?  What about planets orbiting other stars?  Are they common, or are they rare?  Are the basic molecular ingredients necessary for forming life elsewhere in the Universe common or rare?  These are just some of the questions, which have been asked by human beings for centuries, to be explored in this Skywatch Lecture.  Not only is NASA working hard on these, and other, questions, but some tantalizing answers have already emerged.  The United States Space Agency is currently designing instruments and spacecraft capable of detecting life on planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy.  It currently seems reasonable to imagine that the current generation of humans will soon be able to point at stars in the night sky having planets where life will be known to exist.  That will be a startling point when we as a species can peer at a living Universe.

Dr. Sten Odenwald - December 11, 2008
"Cosmology in the 21stCentury"

Dark matter, dark energy, strings theory, extra dimensions and Higgs Bosons. These pivotal ideas in 21st Century cosmology are about to be put to the test as the European Large Hadron Collider continues to power-up since last September. How did the universe start? Why does it look the way it does today? What is the nature of mass, energy and dimension? With each new discovery, we are pushed towards ever-more subtle questions requiring the efforts of nations and armies of scientists and engineers to answer. Tonight, we will explore what questions have firm answers, and what questions remain open for the latest round of investigation. We will explore the subtle interplay between space, matter and dimensionality on the quantum scale, and the imprints they have on the cosmic scale. We will also look at what new discoveries await the latest experimental researches by LHC, neutrino and gravity wave telescopes, and future space observatories. Finally, we will step back and see how well the emerging picture of the physical universe matches our intuitive and religious views about creation and destiny.

Broadcasts

Dudley Observatory Skywatch Lectures
Broadcast on PUBLIC ACCESS, TV-16. Watch for listings

DVDs are available from Dudley Observatory