Want to kick back, have a beer, and ponder what it all means? For our opening night, we'll tackle questions about the cosmos, and hear from two speakers who will explore issues like how the universe is expanding and galaxies are formed. Then, we'll bring it back home to our own backyard, and learn about the changing face of our neighborhoods right here in Philadelphia.
Meet the Speakers
Mark Trodden, Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics and Department Chair at the University of Pennsylvania.
Embracing the Dark Side: In Search of the Missing Pieces of the Cosmic Puzzle
For most of the last century, physicists pushed our understanding of the microscopic world down to ever-smaller sizes. At the same time, astronomers have continued to look to the skies, peering beyond our galaxy. We will explore how cosmology weaves together these strands of knowledge, turning our telescopes into microscopes, and allowing us to read the hitherto unknown dark side of the universe.
Jonathan Tannen, Director at Econsult Solutions.
Neighborhood change as the movement of emergent boundaries.
How do neighborhoods change, spatially? I find that between 2000 and 2010, Philadelphia's spatial organization of household race and ethnicity changed in two distinct ways. In my talk, we'll explore exactly what happened, and make some predictions for the future.
Alex Hill, Postdoctoral researcher in the Astronomy Department at Haverford College.
How are Galaxies Formed?
Everything we are made of was created in a now-dead star. Stars form, create all the elements in the Universe except for hydrogen and helium, and then return those elements to the galaxy from which the star came. We will explore how galaxies recycle matter from old stars to form the stars and planets we know.