Traveling Light: The Universe’s Oldest Story Told by the Cosmic Microwave Background

The afterglow of the Big Bang, known as the cosmic microwave background (CMB), is the oldest light in the Universe, emitted when the Universe was only 0.003% of its current age. This ancient light has traveled across space for nearly 14 billion years, carrying with it vital information about the early Universe. By studying this ‘baby picture’ of the Universe, scientists can uncover clues about how the Universe began, how it has evolved over time, and what its future might hold. In this lecture, I will discuss the journey of this ‘traveling light,’ including how it interacts with other cosmic structures -- such as galaxies and dark matter -- through phenomena like gravitational lensing.

Speaker: Federico Bianchini, Stanford University/SLAC

Attend in person or online (see weblink to register)