PSW#2330: Understanding the Invisible Universe of Dark Matter and Dark Energy

Heart of Darkness: Understanding the Invisible Universe of Dark Matter and Dark Energy

This lecture will explore the history and the physics of our current model of the universe: How did structure in the universe arise, how has it evolved, and what is its ultimate fate? The lecture will emphasize the role of three critical aspects of rational scientific inquiry in arriving at the current cosmological paradigm: The application of direct measurement and observation, the use of rigorous mathematical modeling, and the requirement that hypotheses be testable and verifiable. And, while pointing out how the current paradigm has met critical analysis thus far and "works" to great precision, the lecture will also discuss some fundamental questions about the cosmos that the current model does not answer.

Jeremiah P. Ostriker

Charles A. Young Professor Emeritus, Astrophysical Sciences Dept., Princeton University

Meeting abstract and speaker bio (http://philsoc.org/2014Spring/2330abstract.html)