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Speaker: Francis Halzen
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison

Ice Fishing for Neutrinos
Scientists are melting holes in the bottom of the world!

Monday October 12, 2009

Scott Labs Room 0001
7:30pm
201 W 19th Ave

We have melted half of the eighty holes over two km deep in the Antarctic icecap to be used as astronomical observatories. Into each hole is lowered a string knotted with basketball-sized light detectors which are sensitive to the shimmering blue light emitted in the surrounding clear ice when ghostly particles called neutrinos pass through the Earth. These neutrinos are cosmic messengers from the most violent processes in the universe, for example giant black holes gobbling up stars in the heart of quasars, and gamma-ray bursts which are the biggest explosions since the Big Bang. Neutrinos will tell us if there are dark matter particles trapped in the heart of the Sun, and perhaps even reveal if there are additional dimensions in space.

Dr. Francis Halzen is a Hilldale and Gregory Breit Distinguished Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is a theoretician studying problems at the interface of particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology. Since 1987, he has been working on the AMANDA experiment, a first-generation neutrino telescope at the South Pole. AMANDA obser- vations represent a proof of concept for IceCube, a kilometer-scale observatory now under construction.

From the Big Bang to Island Universe

Josiah McElheny and David Weinberg

Wednesday May 6, 2009

• 5:30pm
• Film/Video Theater
• (Located in the lower level of the Wexner Center)


• Over the last four years, MacArthur-award winning artist Josiah McElheny and Ohio State astronomer David Weinberg have collaborated on the design of four cosmologically inspired sculptures. In this joint lecture, McElheny and Weinberg will describe the history of their collaboration and the scientific and philosophical ideas behind these extraordinary art works, which have been exhibited across the United States and Europe.


• Their work together began with An End to Modernity, a memorable sculpture produced when McElheny was a Wexner Center Residency Award artist and exhibited here in 2005, and is concluding with a five-piece installation titled Island Universe (2008) that's been shown in London and Mardrid.


• Today, they'll describe the history of their collaboration and the scientific and philosophical ideas behind these extraordinary art works. The presentation concludes with the Columbus premiere of McElheny's recent film, also titled Island Universe (19 mins., Super 16mm film transferred to high definition video).

• Live Video Streaming: Can't make it to the event? You can watch this event live on your computer. Click here for details.


• Co-sponsored by Wexner Center for the Arts and the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP). Image Up/Left: Island Universe


• The sculpture to the left, An End to Modernity was designed in collaboration with CCAPP scientist David Weinberg. McElheny's sculpture traces the 14 billion year history of the expanding universe. The central aluminum sphere, lamps, and glass pieces depict the last scattering surface, the rise and fall of the quasar population, and the growth, transformation, and clustering of galaxies.


• First exhibited at the Wexner Center for the Arts, An End to Modernity is now in the collection of the Tate Modern gallery in London.


• Watch a video of artist Josiah Elheny discussing his work.


• Come visit the Physics Research Building Mezzanine to see it on display along with The Last Scattering Surface

The View From The Center Of The Universe

March 24, 2008

• The Ballroom, The Blackwell Inn
• 5:00-6:00pm
• 2110 Tuttle Park Place


• The universe is made mostly of dark matter and dark energy, with visible matter making up only about half a percent of the total. This lecture explains and visualizes this new picture of the universe and its evolution. Joel and Nancy alternate frequently during the presentation, presenting scientific and philosophical viewpoints. They show spectacular new images and videos, using both updated ancient symbols and the latest astronomical data and simulations. They also use humorous cartoons to illustrate how cosmological ideas have cultural implications. The talk is both entertaining and educational, and it can be enjoyed by everyone from people who know nothing about modern astronomy to experts in the field. It is a remarkable fact that humans - and indeed intelligent life anywhere in the universe - must have a size that is in the middle of all possible size scales. Becoming aware of this and other aspects of our special place in the cosmos opens a sweeping new perspective on what we truly may be as humans and what we can do to resolve our personal and global challenges.

Joel R. Primack

• Joel R. Primack, a professor of physics at the University of California Santa Cruz, has done foundational research in cosmology. He and his team use some of the world's biggest supercomputers to simulate the evolution of the universe, and they compare the results with observational data. He has recently chaired the Forum on Physics and Society of the American Physical Society, as well as the Committee on Science, Ethics, and Religion of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and he served on the recent Beyond Einstein study of the National Academy of Sciences.

Nancy Ellen Abrams

• Nancy Ellen Abrams is a lawyer, writer, and former Fulbright scholar, with a long-term interest in the history, philosophy, and politics of science. While working on the staff of the U.S. Congress, she co-created a novel method by which government agencies can make wise policy decisions in cases involving scientific uncertainty, and she has consulted on this for the Swedish government, several state governments, and various corporations. Her articles have appeared in journals, magazines, and books. She has also released three albums of her songs and performed in eighteen countries.