Lawrence Krauss gives a talk on our current picture of the universe, how it will end, and how it could have come from nothing. Krauss is the author of many bestselling books on Physics and Cosmology, including "The Physics of Star Trek."
Course Description : This course focuses on three particularly interesting areas of astronomy that are advancing very rapidly: Extra-Solar Planets, Black Holes, and Dark Energy. Particular attention is paid to current projects that promise to improve our understanding significantly over the next few years. The course explores not just what is known, but what is currently not known, and how astronomers are going about trying to find out.
1. Introduction to Astrophysics 2. Planetary Orbits 3. Our Solar System and the Pluto Problem 4. Discovering Exoplanets: Hot Jupiters 5. Planetary Transits 6.Microlensing, Astrometry and Other Methods 7. Direct Imaging of Exoplanets 8. Introduction to Black Holes 9. Special and General Relativity 10. Tests of Relativity 11. Special and General Relativity (cont.) 12. Stellar Mass Black Holes 13. Stellar Mass Black Holes (cont.) 14. Pulsars 15. Supermassive Black Holes 16. Hubbles Law and the Big Bang 17. Hubbles Law and the Big Bang (cont.) 18. Hubbles Law and the Big Bang (cont.) 19. Omega and the End of the Universe 20. Dark Matter 21. Dark Energy and the Accelerating Universe and the Big Rip 22. Supernovae 23. Other Constraints: The Cosmic Microwave Background 24. The Multiverse and Theories of Everything
Jerry Coyne explains 'Why Evolution is True' (also the title of his excellent new book) at the Atheist Alliance International 2009 conference, sponsored by The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science.
Tom Abel of Stanford University discusses how supercomputer simulations allow us to visually show the origin of the first stars, their ultimate demise and the impact on their future, which is our past.
Prof. Ramamurti Shankar, J.R. Huffman Professor of Physics & Applied Physics, gives an introduction to Einstein's Theory for a lay audience. The only preparation needed is an open mind.
Prof. Shankar presented this lecture at the Association of Yale Alumni Reunion Weekend on May 29, 2010.