The Dark Side of the Universe
Space is a rich laboratory that can uncover surprises about physics that Earth-bound experiments might never reveal — and our modern telescopes are giving us an unprecedented view. We can now see the universe as it was before galaxies even existed. We have found thousands of planets orbiting other stars. We regularly detect supernovae that went off billions of years before the earth even formed. We’ve even detected gravitational waves — ripples in space itself. And most enigmatically, we've discovered some kind of “dark energy” that is accelerating the expansion of the universe, contrary to our expectation that gravity should slow it down. In this talk astrophysicist Tamara Davis will tell us about the latest news on dark energy, dark matter, and black holes, and relate some of her experiences from 20 years of research into the dark side of the Universe.
The Rosseland Lecturer 2022
Professor Tamara Davis is an astrophysicist who studies the elusive “dark energy” that’s accelerating the expansion of the universe. She’s measured time-dilation in distant supernovae, helped make some of the largest maps of the distribution of galaxies in the universe, observed evidence for sound waves from the big bang, and seriously considers whether we can use dark energy to make hoverboards. She led the Dark Theme within the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, and is now leading the Australian Dark Energy Survey (OzDES).
She is also a prolific science communicator through public talks, radio, documentaries, and as occasional host of the science TV show “Catalyst”, one episode of which won the American Institute of Physics award for science communication. Amongst her accolades are the Astronomical Society of Australia’s Louise Webster Medal for the early career researcher with the highest international impact, the Australian Academy of Science’s Nancy Millis Medal for outstanding female leadership in science, an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship, and a Member of the Order of Australia
The Rosseland Lecture
The Rosseland Lecture is held annually by the Institute of Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Oslo, in memory of Norway’s foremost astrophysicist, and founder of our institute, Professor Svein Rosseland (1894 – 1985). The Rosseland Lecturers are internationally renowned, outstanding astrophysicists. The Rosseland Lectures hold a semi-popular level and are open for all.