From Curiosity to the Cosmos: A Tale of Humanity’s Progress

Dr. Jeffrey McMahon, Professor in Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, gives a lecture titled From Curiosity to the Cosmos: A Tale of Humanity’s Progress.

Abstract

Over the past century, humanity has made incredible progress in our understanding of our Universe. This period begins with the transition of cosmology from a philosophical pursuit and encompasses its development into a scientific field that now offers precise knowledge about what we know—and what we do not know—regarding the history of our Universe, reaching back to a tiny fraction of a second after its birth. In this talk, I will discuss this progress, highlighting some of the major intellectual strides humanity has made and examining how collaboration, technology, and the scientific enterprise have evolved over the decades. I will emphasize the inspiring questions that cosmology asks, answers, and seeks to understand.