Martin Wood Complex, Department of Physics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PU
Leanne O'Donnell
Abstract
How did the Universe begin? What happened in its very first moments, and how can we possibly find out?
Modern cosmology has revealed an extraordinary amount about the history of our Universe, from its earliest observable stages to the formation of galaxies, stars and planets. Yet some of the most fundamental questions remain unanswered. Did the Universe really have a beginning? What caused the Big Bang? And can the laws of physics tell us what happened at the very earliest times?
In this public event, we will explore both what scientists know about the early Universe and what remains speculative. We will discuss some of the remarkable ideas physicists have developed to explain its origins, including cosmic inflation and the possibility that the Big Bang was not the beginning of everything.
We will then turn to the observational frontier: the search for primordial gravitational waves, tiny ripples in spacetime that may have been generated in the Universe's earliest moments. We will explain how scientists are attempting to detect their imprint in the oldest light we can observe, the cosmic microwave background, and what their discovery could tell us about the birth of the Universe.
Join us for an exploration of one of science's greatest mysteries, where bold theoretical ideas meet extraordinary experimental ingenuity.