Extreme Science: Everything in the Universe
Dr. Paul Doherty
March 4, 2011
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The universe is commonly defined as the totality of everything that exists - at least to the extent of our limited knowledge. To help us grasp the totality of it all, Dr. Paul Doherty will take us on a tour of the universe - we will expand and contract in size to reach the extremes of scientific knowledge!
Starting in human-scale - approximately a meter in radius, with a once-a-second heartbeat and a mass of 70 kilograms - we will then expand to include the earth, planets, stars, galaxies, galaxy clusters and all the way up to encompass the whole universe. At the edges of the universe we’ll get sucked into the event horizon of a black hole. Fortunately for us, we will escape and look towards the boundary of the visible universe - the limit on what science can know.
To begin to understand the biggest things in the universe, we must turn to look at the smallest. We will shrink down to the smallest scales; atoms, nuclei and particles. Past particles, we’ll go all the way down to the Compton wavelength, where details of an object are lost to its wave nature, another boundary to knowable science.
Since nothing existed until something did, we’ll journey back in time to the big bang. According to the theories of physics, if we were to look at the Universe one second after the Big Bang, we would see a 10-billion degree sea of neutrons, protons, electrons, anti-electrons (positrons), photons, and neutrinos.
That's a lot to imagine, but as always, Dr Doherty will bring many hands-on visual aids and experiments for the audience to take part and grasp these astronomically large and atomically small scientific concepts!
This is astrophysics 101 in a fun, interactive setting.
Doors open at 7pm with complimentary, locally grown and crafted desserts from Foothill Farmer's Market growers. Presentation starts at 7:30pm. Ticket info
About Dr. Paul Doherty
Dr. Paul Doherty received his Ph.D. in solid-state physics from MIT in 1974. After teaching courses at Oakland University in physics, astronomy, geology, electronics, computer programming and meteorology, he became a senior staff scientist at the San Francisco Exploratorium, the museum of science, art and human perception.
Dr. Doherty is also a visiting scientist at Tom Tits Experiment in Sweden and an adjunct professor of physics at San Francisco State University. Throughout his career he has won numerous awards such as the "Administrator of the Year" award from the California Science Education Advisory Council in 1999, the Distinguished Teacher Award by the American Association of Physics teachers in 2002, the NSTA's Faraday Award for excellence in 2003.
Dr. Doherty has written for numerous magazines and publishers including Exploring magazine, Exploratorium Press, Klutz Press, Chronicle Press, and Muse magazine.
Thanks to Our 2010-2011 Supporters!
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Further Reading
In order from, "okay I think I understand" to "forget about it!"
- Universe 101: Big Bang Theory, NASA
- Baby pictures! It's so cute, what our universe looked like...(NASA)
- Length scales in physics
- Calculator for Compton scattering
Better yet, just come see Dr. Doherty...he'll put it all into perspective!
Buy your tickets early as Dr. Doherty's lectures are popular!