Studying the Shape and Composition of the Universe - David Spergel
At the April 2024 Meeting of the American Philosophical Society, David Spergel, President of the Simons Foundation, delivered the talk, "Studying the Shape and Composition of the Universe."
About the speaker:
David Nathaniel Spergel is an American theoretical astrophysicist and the Emeritus Charles A. Young Professor of Astronomy on the Class of 1897 Foundation at Princeton University. Since 2021, he has been the President of the Simons Foundation. He is known for his work on the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) project. In 2022, Spergel accepted the chair of NASA's UAP independent study team.
00:00 - Introduction: Early Influences in Cosmology
01:57 - Understanding the Universe’s Strange Simplicity
03:30 - Dark Matter and Dark Energy: Mysteries of the Cosmos
06:22 - Time, the Big Bang, and the Nature of the Universe
09:14 - General Relativity and Space Curvature
11:08 - Measuring the Universe’s Geometry
15:27 - Cosmic Microwave Background and Sound Waves
18:54 - Dark Matter’s Role in Cosmic Structure
21:40 - Advanced Measurements and New Telescopes
24:10 - Shadows of Galaxy Clusters and Future Discoveries
26:35 - Surprises and Progress in Cosmology Research
30:04 - The Hubble Constant Debate and James Webb Observations
33:02 - Early Galaxies and Star Formation Insights from Webb
35:57 - Gravitational Waves and Future Space Observatories
About the American Philosophical Society:
The American Philosophical Society, the oldest learned society in the United States, was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin for the purpose of “promoting useful knowledge.” In the 21st century we sustain this mission in three principal ways. We honor and engage leading scholars, scientists, and professionals through elected membership and opportunities for interdisciplinary, intellectual fellowship, particularly in our semi-annual Meetings. We support research and discovery through grants and fellowships, lectures, publications, prizes, exhibitions, and public education. We serve scholars through a research library of manuscripts and other collections internationally recognized for their enduring historic value. The American Philosophical Society’s current activities reflect the founder’s spirit of inquiry, provide a forum for the free exchange of ideas, and convey our conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are inherently in the best interest of the public.
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