The Universe Continues to Reveal Surprises

Over the past few decades, astronomers have for the first time identified the major constituents of the universe. Unexpectedly, the universe hardly resembles what we thought only a couple of decades ago. The universe is filled with dark matter more abundant than ordinary matter and dark energy that is causing a runaway acceleration. We do not yet have a complete picture of this unexpected universe. Some discrepancies may be hinting at new discoveries to come. New giant telescopes planned for the next decade are likely to reveal more surprises.  In her lecture, Professor Freedman will describe these recent advances.