SELBY PUBLIC LECTURE

The dark side of the universe

About the Fellowship
Professor Joseph Silk is the 2007 Selby Fellow. The Selby Fellowship is generously supported by the Selby Scientific Foundation and administered by the Academy. Fellowships are awarded to distinguished overseas scientists to visit Australia to present public lectures and to visit scientific centres in Australia. More information about the fellowship is available.

About the 2007 Selby Fellow
Professor Joseph Silk is Savilian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Oxford, and is a world leader in the field of theoretical cosmology, seeking insights about dark matter, galaxy formation, and the relic glow from the Big Bang. He was educated at Cambridge and Harvard, and worked at the University of California in Berkeley from 1970 until he accepted the Oxford chair in 1998. For more information visit: http://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/astro/people/JoeSilk.htm

About the talk
One of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos is that it is mostly dark. For every atom visible in planets, stars and galaxies today, there exists at least 20 times as much 'dark matter' in the universe.

There is also a dark force, dubbed 'dark energy', originally postulated by Einstein in the form of the cosmological constant. This talk will review the status of ongoing searches for the dark components of the universe.

Lecture series itinerary

    Perth
    Monday 13 August 2007 - 4.00 pm Ross Lecture Theatre School of Physics University of Western Australia
    Please contact pquinn@cyllene.uwa.edu.au for information about other events in Perth.

    Melbourne
    Wednesday 15 August - 6.30 pm
    Hercus Theatre
    Department of Physics
    University of Melbourne
    Please contact rwebster@physics.unimelb.edu.au for information about other events in Melbourne.

    Brisbane
    Thursday 16 August 2007
    Drinks and refreshments 6.45pm
    Presentation 7.30-8.30pm (no admittance after 7.30)

    Cosmic Skydome, Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
    Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong
    Adjacent free parking

    Bookings essential
    Planetarium Booking Office
    07 3403 2578, TUES-SUN 11am-4pm
    Group bookings limited to 8 people
    Please contact mdrinkwater@uq.edu.au for information about other events in Brisbane.

    Canberra
    Tuesday 21 August 2007 - 7.00 pm
    Manning Clarke Centre, Theatre 3
    Australian National University
    Please contact Penny.Cox@anu.edu.au for information about other events in Canberra.

    Sydney
    Friday 24 August 2007 - 6.30 pm
    Macquarie Theatre
    Macquarie University
    Please contact Rachel Rizk on 9850 6045 for information.
    Please contact Helen.Sim@csiro.au about other events in Sydney, or visit Astronomy Group (Macquarie University)