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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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Science

Talks that are about physics, biology, astronomy, geology and more.

  • Dark matter accounts for some 27 percent of the universe but is invisible. One promising technique to reveal it is the analysis of gravitational lensing that very occasionally aligns galaxy clusters.

    The much-noted “cosmic question mark” image for this event is the result of a rare alignment between two distant galaxies due to gravitational lensing. Professor Jacqueline McCleary explains how cosmologists use such examples of weak gravitational lensing between galaxy clusters to explore the nature of elusive dark matter and its interaction with galaxies. She discusses how cosmologists gather and analyze data from observatories on mountaintops, in the stratosphere, and in space.

    Dr. McCleary is a collaborator in the Local Volume Complete Cluster Survey (LoVoCCS), the SuperpressureBalloon-borne Imaging Telescope (SuperBIT), and COSMOS-Web (a JWST collaboration).
    Partner:
    Science for the Public
  • Epidemiologist Joel Schwartz is noted for his work on the acute and chronic health effects of fossil fuel air pollution.  One of his recent collaborative studies revealed that exposure to fine combustion particles in the air at concentrations well below current standards are associated with a range of conditions, including dementia, asthma, heart attacks, and lung cancer.  The study indicated that the death rate from this pollution is almost 1 in 5 deaths worldwide, about twice the previous mortality estimate.  Not surprisingly, the pollution impact falls disproportionately on poorer communities.  This research is finally leading to tighter U.S. air quality standards. In this program, Dr. Schwartz discusses the wide health effects of fossil fuel pollution and why restrictions have been so lax.  
    Partner:
    Science for the Public
  • This is a most exciting period for cosmology, especially for scientists whose focus is the early universe. The James Webb Space Telescope and other advanced technologies are providing unprecedented new insights about the early universe, especially the emergence of the first stars and galaxies and the relationship between these formations and mysterious dark matter. Professor Julian Muñoz explains both the newest discoveries and the techiques he uses to investigate the very early universe.
    Partner:
    Science for the Public
  • Dr. John Ebel explains the geological forces that cause earthquakes and the areas on the planet most vulnerable to tsunamis. We learn how seismologists track earthquake-prone areas of the planet and how they predict the possibility of tsunamis. Dr. Ebel has conducted extensive research on methods for earthquake hazard computation and earthquake forecasting. He has been a consultant on seismic hazard and nuclear test ban treaty monitoring issues for government agencies, including Argonne National Laboratory, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. And he has been a consultant on seismic hazard for over 20 major engineering projects in the US and other countries.
    Partner:
    Science for the Public