KICP Lectures, Talks, & Events, 2006
 
Lee Smolin, Public lecture on his new book "The Trouble with Physics"
October 5, 2006 | 7:00 PM | The University of Chicago, The Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5757 South University Avenue
Picture: Lee Smolin, Public lecture on his new book The Trouble with Physics
The Seminary Co-op Bookstores and the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics are pleased to host physicist and author Lee Smolin. In his new book, Dr. Smolin discusses some of the problems that have plagued the field of Physics over the past few decades, especially with regard to the search for a Unified Theory of Everything. Focusing on String Theory, Smolin claims that with its exotic new particles and parallel universes, it has captured the public's imagination and seduced many physicists. But there is a deep flaw in the theory: no part of it has been proven, and no one knows how to prove it. The lack of scientific rigor prevents forward progress. Smolin takes a fascinating look at new exciting ideas being developed by a group of young theorists, which unlike String Theory are testable, and may trigger the next great revolution in Physics.

 
Cafe Scientifique: Jeff McMahon, Icy Eye on the Infant Universe: Tales from an Antarctic Cosmologist
October 18, 2006 | 7:00 PM | The Map Room (1949 N. Hoyne, Chicago)
Picture: Cafe Scientifique: Jeff McMahon, Icy Eye on the Infant Universe: Tales from an Antarctic Cosmologist
Jeff McMahon, KICP fellow
We live in a universe with properties so bizarre that we would never have dreamed them up had observations not compelled us to accept them as our reality. Recent scientific experiments have sharpened our understanding of this reality, but also present us with some very deep mysteries (e.g., what is the nature of Dark Energy, the invisible stuff that makes up 70% of our universe and is- in some sense- gravitationally repulsive?) In November, I along with a team of cosmologists will fly to the South Pole to deploy a 10 meter telescope - the largest ever in Antarctica - which we will use to probe the universe and its mysterious Dark Energy. During this period I will also be an "on the ice" correspondent for the Exploratorium, vbloging, podcasting and webcasting my experiences. At the cafe we will discuss the universe, the telescope, and life on the frozen continent.

South Pole Telescope website

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KICP Members: Jeff McMahon

 
KICP @ Great Lakes Planetarium Association Meeting
October 25 - 26, 2006 | Clifford Pierce Middle School, Merrillville, IN
Picture: KICP @ Great Lakes Planetarium Association Meeting
The 2006 GLPA Conference is being hosted by the Merrillville Community School Corporation. The conference begins on the evening of Wednesday, October 25, and concludes on the afternoon of Saturday, October 28. The conference is being held at Clifford Pierce Middle School, home of the Merrillville Community Planetarium.

Oct 25, Guest Speaker: Professor Clem Pryke - "The History of the Universe and the Return of Einstein's 'Biggest Blunder'".

Oct 26, Josh Frieman & Mark SubbaRao - Full Dome Visualizations of Current Astrophysical Data.

Oct 26, Workshop "Cosmic Analogies: The Good, the Bad & the Ugly": Dragan Huterer, Randy Landsberg, Hiranya Peiris, and Andrew Zentner from the Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics (KICP) will share and critique cosmology analogies used by planetarians, educators, and researchers themselves.

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KICP Members: Joshua A. Frieman; Dragan Huterer; Randall H. Landsberg; Hiranya V. Peiris; Clement L. Pryke; Mark Subbarao; Andrew R. Zentner

 
South Pole Telescope Exploratorium Web cast, 2006
November 25 - December 29, 2006 | 12:00 PM | The South Pole
KICP South Pole Telescope project collaborates with the Exploratorium to bring Live Web-Casts from the South Pole about the historic deployment of the 10 meter South Pole Telescope. Watch live on the web, in the studio audience at the Exploratorium or the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum. View the Web archive at anytime. Visit the SPT website to: see pictures of Antarctica, the telescope and the team; learn about the telescope and how it will be used to explore the universe.

Related Links:
KICP Members: John E. Carlstrom
Scientific projects: South Pole Telescope (SPT)

 
Stephan S. Meyer, "The Cosmic Microwave Background: Light from the Big Bang"
November 30, 2006 | 5:00 PM | Biological Sciences Learning Center, Room 109
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is one of the observational cornerstones of the Big Bang model. Its discovery forty years ago quickly expanded our understanding of the evolution and development of the largest objects within the Universe and was the start of modern precision cosmology. This year, the Nobel Prize in physics was given for the first detection of structure in the CMB by the COBE satellite in 1991. Future observations of CMB properties will likely be challenging, but may reward us with a greater understanding of the first moments of the Universe.

The lecture is sponsored by Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society, Chicago Chapter. For additional information call: 773-702-5425. Reception Immediately Following.

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KICP Members: Stephan S. Meyer

 
Edward "Rocky" Kolb, "Einstein's Cosmic Legacy"
December 17, 2006 | 1:00 PM | Chicago Cultural Center, Washington Room


Related Links:
KICP Members: Edward W. Kolb