August 14

How Did It All Begin?

This question challenges both our scientific mind and the deepest tenets of our faiths.  In our brief session, we will zip through 14 billion years of the scientific view of the origins of the universe, the stars from which the atoms in our bodies came, the life-giving Sun, and our own planet Earth.   Along the way, we’ll explore whether scientists see life on Earth and humans as special in any way, or whether we’re just an accidental blip in time and space. We’ll check out the latest news from NASA’s Webb Telescope, which promises pictures of the very first stars to form out of the cosmic chaos.  You are strongly encouraged to post questions by August 1 at http://bit.ly/PlymouthUniverse, so that we can tackle some at The Forum.

Lawrence Rudnick, Professor Emeritus is a Distinguished Teaching Professor Emeritus from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota