How Big is the Universe?

Published by in creativity, podcasting, science on September 23rd, 2005

The University of Chicago is publishing a series of short interviews with faculty members, discussing their research activities and interests, called “Research at Chicago.”

We listened to several of these podcasts recently on a long car trip to a relative’s wedding. Some were great, some were less compelling, but one really stood out to me. It is just 7 minutes long– if you have 7 minutes to spare (and of course you do, we all make time for the things in life that really matter) I would encourage you to listen. This interview with Dr Michael S. Turner, titled “Theoretical Cosmology,” is available both as mp3 audio and a short video. These podcasts are unique (from what I’ve seen and experienced thus far in the blogosphere) in that video versions are also available. Either one is compelling. The audio content is the same, the video includes some extra video segments “pasted over” the interview video with Dr Turner.

Listening to Dr Turner speak about his actual work as a scientist and physicist at the University of Chicago, I am struck by how exciting his work is– how much there is “out there” in the universe that we just don’t know– and how important it is that we share this excitement with our students of all ages, who need encouragement at every level to study science and cultivate a love of learning. How often do you get a chance to hear a leading astronomer discuss “dark matter” and the size of the universe anyway? Well, no matter where you are in the world today, you’ve got your chance now. Give this podcast a listen.

Turner says “forefront science is improvisational.” Did your science teachers in elementary, middle, and high school teach you that? If you were lucky they did, but I suspect many did not. Too often science is portrayed as a “done deal” that students need to “sit and get”: memorize genus, phylum, species, do this experiment by rote as written in the lab manual or textbook so you can simply rediscover Newtonian principles (which Einstein’s theory of relativity largely turns on its head, btw– for more on that listen to NOVA’s E=MC squared podcasts on “Einstein’s Big Idea.”) This is great stuff. And it is free! Long live the age of high quality, free, engaging podcast content! It is just beginning, my friends…..

Turner also says “the dialog is important.” And that is SO TRUE! One of the big things missing in our fast paced twenty-first century culture is “dialog,” which Stephen Glenn defined many years ago as a “meaningful exchange of perceptions in a non-threatening environment.” I contend dialog is precisely what we NEED in greater quantity in our lives, both in our classrooms and in our homes.

Turner also reports that “the universe is not flat.” It is curved. And the universe’s expansion seems to be speeding up (as I would observe, our lives seem to be as well.) He reports the universe may include of lots of “dark matter” composed of elements not even on our current periodic table. Get your mind around THAT. :-)

Here is my challenge to you. Listen to this podcast or watch it, and then share it with someone else: ask them to listen with you. Then talk about it. Then comment here on what you thought and discussed. This is 21st century homework, people. There will not be a grade on this, but there will be a reward. To find out what that is, you have to do the assignment, then leave your comment here to let others hear YOUR voice.

You can subscribe to “Research at Chicago” with their XML podcast feed address.

On this day..

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