Decoding the Cosmos: From the Big Bang to Dark Matter

Embark on a cosmic journey through this 58-minute lecture that unravels the profound mysteries of the universe's explosive birth. Explore the remarkable progress in cosmology driven by the interplay between theory and observations. Discover how observational discoveries have led to a Standard Model of cosmology with intriguing ingredients like dark matter and dark energy. Learn about ambitious sky surveys across the electromagnetic spectrum and the use of gravitational waves to unravel cosmic puzzles. Delve into the rapidly changing cosmological landscape, including the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), mapping dark matter with gravitational lensing, and using machine learning to explore galaxies. Gain insights into detecting dark matter in the lab and the fascinating connections between condensed matter experiments and cosmology. Join Professor Hiranya Peiris, the first woman to hold the prestigious Professorship of Astronomy (1909) at Cambridge, as she shares highlights from her research career and discusses how laboratory experiments are helping test new fundamental physics paradigms developed to explain cosmological observations.

Intro
How do we know about the universe?
Tracing the light of galaxies
The Legacy Survey of Space and Time LSST
Mapping dark matter with gravitational lensing
How do we know how far away galaxies are?
Using machine learning to explore galaxies
Detecting dark matter in the lab
The Universe on a table-top
Condensed matter experiment and cosmology
Steeped in nearly two centuries of tradition, a Discourse is more than just a lecture. The Discourse lasts exactly an hour, and a bell is rung to mark the beginning and end. To keep the focus on the topic, presenters begin sharply at pm without introduction and we lock the speaker into a room ten minutes ahead of the start legend has it that a speaker once tried to escape!. Some of our guests and speakers dress smartly for our Discourse events to add to this sense of occasion. Read more about Discourses here: https://www.rigb.org/explore-science/explore/blog/history-friday-evening-discourse