An Atom from Dunedin - Public Lecture
Professor Lawrence Krauss
Director, Origins Initiative, Arizona State University
We are all star children. Every atom in our bodies was likely, at least once and probably many times, to have been inside the fiery inferno of an exploding star. Moreover, while our nature compels us to think of our own experience as the defining feature of existence, it is not. All the while, the fundamental protagonists in the drama of life are the very atoms that make up our bodies. They may experience what we all desire: a chance at immortality.
In this lecture, Professor Krauss will trace the biography of a single atom - one that will be in a glass of water sitting on the stage at the beginning of the lecture - from the beginning of the Universe, before atoms themselves existed, until the end, as we currently envisage it. In between, our atom experiences myriad tragedies and miraculous accidents as it weaves its way through the cosmos, through the earth, and through our own bodies.
Its story will also lead us to confront some of the most exciting new discoveries as well as the greatest outstanding puzzles in physics, cosmology, geology, and biology, as well as some lessons about our own place in the Universe.
| Date | Tuesday, 16 March 2010 |
|---|---|
| Time | 5:30pm - 6:30pm |
| Audience | Public |
| Event Category | Sciences |
| Event Type |
Public Lecture |
| Campus | Dunedin |
| Location | College of Education Auditorium, 143 Union St East |
| Cost | Free |
| Contact Email | simon.ancell@otago.ac.nz |
