Frontiers of Cosmology Lecture: The Surprising Expansion History of the Universe

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THE UCR CENTER FOR EXPERIMENTAL COSMOLOGY & INSTRUMENTATION PRESENTS: FRONTIERS OF COSMOLOGY LECTURE The Surprising Expansion History of the Universe In 1929 Edwin Hubble discovered that our Universe is expanding. Ninety years later, the Space Telescope that bears his name is being used to study an even more surprising phenomenon: that the expansion is speeding up. The origin of this effect is not known, but is broadly attributed to a type of "dark energy" first posited to exist by Albert Einstein and now dominating the mass energy budget of the Universe. Professor Riess will describe how his team discovered the acceleration of the Universe and why understanding the nature of dark energy presents one of the greatest remaining challenges in astrophysics and cosmology. He will also discuss recent evidence that the Universe continues to defy our best efforts to predict its behavior. Featuring introductory remarks by UCR Provost Elizabeth Watkins and CNAS Dean Peter Atkinson This event is free and open to the public. The local community, and middle and high school students, are strongly encouraged to attend. Special Speaker: Adam Riess Bloomberg Distinguished Professor Barber Professor of Physics and Astronomy Johns Hopkins University 2011 Nobel Laureate in Physics