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The Fast Radio Sky: A New Window on the Violent Universe

The Fast Radio Sky: A New Window on the Violent Universe

FromSilicon Valley Astronomy Lectures


The Fast Radio Sky: A New Window on the Violent Universe

FromSilicon Valley Astronomy Lectures

ratings:
Length:
85 minutes
Released:
Oct 24, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

In this episode, Dr. Victoria Kaspi (McGill University) introduces us to a brand-new mystery in the skies -- superfast bursts of radio waves whose source is still unknown.  These energetic bursts come from all over the sky (and all over the universe,) pack a huge amount of energy, and typically last a few thousandths of a second.  Like a detective in the middle of a case, Dr. Kaspi fills us in on the story of how new observations (especially with the CHIME telescope project which she heads) have been revealing tantalizing new aspects of these bursts, without yet giving us a solution to their ultimate cause.  She shares both the thrills and frustrations of a new phenomenon in science, still in the process of being explored.  Recorded on Oct. 19, 2022.Victoria Kaspi is the inaugural director of the McGill Space Institute and holds the Lorne Trottier Chair in Astrophysics and Cosmology at McGill University.  She is the winner of the 2021 Shaw Prize in astronomy and the 2022 Albert Einstein World Award in Science.
Released:
Oct 24, 2022
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (45)

Listen to exciting, non-technical talks on some of the most interesting developments in astronomy and space science. Founded in 1999, the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lectures are presented on six Wednesday evenings during each school year at Foothill College, in the heart of California's Silicon Valley. Speakers include a wide range of noted scientists, explaining astronomical developments in everyday language. The series is organized and moderated by Foothill's astronomy instructor emeritus Andrew Fraknoi and jointly sponsored by the Foothill College Physical Science, Math, and Engineering Division, the SETI Institute, the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, and the University of California Observatories (including the Lick Observatory.)