|
|
 |
|
|  |
| |
Big Bang & Beyond
26 April-10 May 2006
 KICP's Big Bang & Beyond Becomes An Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum Adult Education Course.
 For the past three years the KICP has offered very successful, intensive, three day, cosmology, short courses for planetarium staff. These courses have a very direct impact on how modern cosmology is incorporated into public programming. Another innovation is to take the essence of each course and to craft it into a three part Adler adult education program. See Adler Education The Big Bang and Beyond will be presented in three parts at the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum in the Star Rider Theater on Wednesday's from 7:00-8:30 p.m. - Part I April 26, 2006
The Cosmic Microwave Background, the First Light
Dr. Stephan Meyer, The University of Chicago, KICP - Part II May 3, 2006
The End of the Dark Ages
Dr. Nick Gnedin, The University of Chicago, KICP - Part III May 10, 2006
Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe
Dr. Dragan Huterer, The University of Chicago, KICP
 The Cosmic Microwave Background, the First Light
Dr. Stephan Meyer, The University of Chicago, KICP
Wednesday, April 26, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is one of the observational cornerstones of the Big Bang model of the early Universe. Its discovery forty years ago initiated a deep understanding of the evolution of the Universe and the structures that comprise today's precision cosmology. Future observations of CMB properties will likely be challenging, but may reward us with a greater understanding of the Universe.
 The End of the Dark Ages
Dr. Nick Gnedin, The University of Chicago, KICP
Wednesday, May 3, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
As the early Universe cooled, the Cosmic Background Radiation shifted into infrared, plunging everything into darkness. The 'Cosmic Dark Ages' ended with reionization of the bulk of cosmic gas by ultra-violet radiation from primeval galaxies. We will look at this process from inside and outside of the Universe to learn about early galaxies, quasars, and radio telescopes on a quest to understand how the Universe entered its Renaissance. Special Note: This class will feature a full dome visualization created by Dr. Gnedin.
 Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe
Dr. Dragan Huterer, The University of Chicago, KICP
Wednesday, May 10, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
The discovery that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating has presented us with a grand mystery: what is the origin and nature of the 'dark energy' that causes this accelerated expansion? We do not understand what dark energy really is, or how our dark energy-dominated Universe will end. This session will discuss these issues and how experiments may help us understand the nature and origin of dark energy and the accelerating Universe.
|
| |
KICP Space Explorers Yerkes Summer Institute: Sink or Swim? Exploring Buoyancy & Density
5-11 August 2006
Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, WI
Throughout the week you will explore why things float and sink. You will discover, among many things, how density can be used in plastic recycling, how astrophysicists use the buoyant properties of giant balloons to launch experiments, how convection works on the sun, and how telescopes are used to explore the densities of distant objects. The week will end with you making a presentation to your family and fellow students about this uplifting topic.
During the day on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, you will be divided into three groups (SUBS, SHIPS, and ZEPS) and will rotate through three all-day laboratories that will help you learn about the properties of buoyancy and density, about how density effects buoyancy, and how floating and sinking are involved in everyday life and in scientific research.
In the middle of the week you will be "Mixed-Up" into new groups where you will become experts in one of the daytime laboratories. Later in the week we will have a "Jigsaw" session where a few people from each mixed-up group will present the laboratory about which they became an expert to the rest of the students.
During the evenings you will do experiments that take advantage of the wonderful telescopes at Yerkes Observatory. The nighttime laboratories depend on clear skies, and so we’ll keep their schedules less fixed.
Here's to a great week of investigation exploring why things float!
Contact E-mail: randy oddjob.uchicago.edu
|
| |
 Auger North Design Workshop
15 August-8 September 2006
Chicago, IL
The Auger North Design Workshop will focus on the optimal design for the Northern site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.
The imminent completion of the Southern site of the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina will mark the beginning of a new era in Particle AstroPhysics. After 2 years of operations, the Southern site will increase by one order of magnitude the worldwide exposure to the highest energies particles and should begin to unveil the long standing mystery of the origin of the ultra-high energy cosmic rays.
It is time to design the Northern site of the Auger Observatory to meet the challenge of CHARGED PARTICLE ASTRONOMY. The energy range between 1019 eV and 1020 eV is of particular importance as it provides a window to point back to the sites where such fantastically high-energy particles originate. The Auger North Design workshop will coordinate the present international R&D effort to design the most effective Northern site Observatory. The present plan calls for a much larger array with wider spacing to fully explore the ability to point back to possible sources.
Contact E-mail: auger-northkicp.uchicago.edu
|
| |
 Cronin Fest
8-9 September 2006
Chicago, IL
Celebration of James W. Cronin's 75th Birthday.
|
 Auger South Analysis Meeting
11-14 September 2006
Chicago, IL
The Auger South Analysis Meeting will take place at the Gleacher Center in downtown Chicago, from September 11th to the 14th, 2006.
The Analysis Meeting will follow a two-day celebration of James W. Cronin's 75th Birthday Celebration on September 8th and 9th. Smaller meetings are being planned by sub-groups for the 10th of September.
Contact E-mail: auger-southkicp.uchicago.edu
|
| |
| |
 Professor Lee Smolin gives a public lecture on his new book "The Trouble with Physics"
5 October 2006
7:00 pm
The University of Chicago,
The Seminary Co-op Bookstore,
5757 South University Avenue
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
18 October 2006
7:00 pm
The Map Room (1949 N. Hoyne, Chicago)
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.
Jeff McMahon
South Pole Telescope website
Contact E-mail: randyoddjob.uchicago.edu
|
| |
EFI Mini-Symposium: In Honor of Dietrich Muller
20 October 2006
9:30 am
RI 480, University of Chicago
The constant bombardment of the Earth by particles from space has been an intriguing topic since its discovery nearly a century ago. Some of the most important advances in the understanding of this cosmic radiation and its origin have been made by direct measurements above the atmosphere. This mini-symposium is in honor of Dietrich Muller, who has been a leader in this field for many years. The program provides an overview of some of the key scientific issues in the field of cosmic ray measurements and a discussion of future possibilities in the context of NASA's scientific balloon program.
Organized by: Simon Swordy.
|
| |
 KICP @ Great Lakes Planetarium Association Meeting
25-26 October 2006
Clifford Pierce Middle School, Merrillville, IN
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.
|
| |
South Pole Telescope Exploratorium Web cast
25 November-29 December 2006
12:00 pm
The South Pole
Nov 25, 2006 12:00 CST
Dec 2, 2006 12:00 CST
Dec 9, 2006 12:00 CST
Dec 29, 2006 12:00 CST
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, and to read blogs from the science team on the ice.
|
| |
Stephan S. Meyer, "The Cosmic Microwave Background: Light from the Big Bang"
30 November 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
