Star Talk: Warp Drives & Aliens
“Warp Drives & Aliens” with Professor Bryan Gaensler
Date & Location: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM Nov. 21, McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP), Room 102, 60 St. George St., Toronto, ON M5S 1A7
Telescope observing: 8:00 PM-9:00 PM on 14th floor of McLennan Physical Laboratories (MP) (weather permitting) — you will be guided to the telescopes.
Abstract: Science fiction and science are both wondrous and inspiring, albeit in very different ways. At its best, science fiction asks profound questions about the human condition. In contrast, science asks — and often answers — even more profound questions about the very nature of matter, space and time. I am both a professional astrophysicist and a science-fiction fan, and sometimes my two great passions converge. Specifically, two of the ever-present themes explored in both fact and fiction are the prospect of journeying to other stars, and the possibility of life on other worlds. In this presentation, I will provide an overview of the latest thinking on interstellar travel and on the search for alien life. The remarkable frontiers of current research provide a rich canvas to tell stories of our place in the cosmos.
About the Speaker: This star talk features Dr. Patrick Hall, a Ph.D. graduate in astronomy and astrophysics. Dr. Hall is currently a professor at York University and a contributor to the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System. He specializes in quasars and blackholes, particularly in the outflows of gas and light from these active bodies.
