UofT AstroTour: The Big Bang and a Multiverse
We have evidence that billions of years ago the universe we live in was much smaller in size. This evidence comes in the form of light that has been travelling for about 13 billion years. In this talk Darsh Kodwani will describe how we have come to understand this light and why we believe this would imply that the universe started in a big bang. Even though the evidence for the big bang is very strong we do not believe it can be the full story of the universe. He will discuss the problems that come out of the big bang picture and why some people think the only way to avoid those problems is by having a Multiverse.
About the Speaker
Darsh Kodwani is a second year PhD student who studies the beginning universe and black holes. Both of these areas have many similarities: the most important similarity is that they are not understood very well! While not studying he spends a lot of time playing and watching sports. In particular he has been trying to understand another mystery of the universe: why his team (Manchester United) has stopped winning trophies in the last few years!
The U of T Astronomy Public Tour, or AstroTour, is a monthly event operated by the graduate students of the U of T Astronomy Department. The Tour features a public lecture by a member of the Department on topics ranging from their research to great moments in astronomical history. Following the lecture, tour-goers can peer at the night sky through the Department’s balcony and dome telescopes, or watch a planetarium show run live by astronomer. Admission to the tour is free. Seating for the lecture is on a first-come, first-served basis (doors open ten minutes before the start of the lecture), and the telescope observing is walk-in.
Who can attend: Everyone
Fee: Free
Reservations: Only required for Planetarium Shows
Organized by: Graduate Astronomy Students Association. The AstroTours are generously financed by the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics.
Location: University of Toronto, McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP 102), 60 St George St., Toronto, ON M5S 1A7