Upcoming Events
We will be holding lectures at Anodyne Coffee on the following dates starting at 1pm. Each event typically lasts 45-60 minutes, and questions are encouraged! Please see a list of the planned and past events below. We will also be hosting livestreamed lectures on our YouTube Channel (link below).
9/23/23: Ancient Astronomy – Sarah Borges and Shashwat Sardesai
Since the dawn of humanity, the heavens above ahve always held awe and wonder for all. What did ancient humans make of the cosmos and the celestial bodies? Astronomy is one of the oldest sciences and is inherently linked to humankind's history. In this talk we'll look at the incredible measurmenets, observations, and theories that early civilizations had when it came to space, the motion of the planets, and creating the first calendars.
10/21/23: Expedition Lunaris: Reaching for the Moon – Tamal RoyChowdhury and Simon Yeung
On April 3rd, 2023, NASA announced the crew members for the Artemis 2 mission to the Moon. This will be the second mission since Apollo 11 to take people back to the lunar surface. In the decades in between, several space agencies around the globe have sent unmanned missions to the Moon to study it. What questions did these missions seek to answer? What more do we want to find out about the Moon? Join us as we discuss the history of some of the most important lunar mission and how they shaped our understanding of this natural satellite, as well as plans for major upcoming missions and their objectives.
11/4/23: The Gravitational Wave Background Discovered! – Lulu Agazie, Gabe Freedman, and Shashwat Sardesai
This past summer, scientists announced the discovery of the stochastic gravitational wave background, a cosmic hum emanating throughout the entire universe. It marked the first direct observation of low-frequency gravitational waves, and opened up a whole new chapter in researching these fascinating signals. The discovery was made possible through the work of many collaborators across the world, including at UWM! Join us as the students who worked directly on this project talk about their work, the importance of this discovery, and how exciting groundbreaking research is happening right here in Milwaukee.
12/2/23: What ever happened to Pluto? – Amanda Baylor and Ronan Humphrey
In August of 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) created an official definition for the term "planet". Pluto was not able to fit into this definition and was demoted to a "dwarf planet", causing outrage in both the scientific and general public communities. Debate over the decision even made its way into the California State Assembly, the New Mexico House of Representatives, and the Illinois Senate, all of which formed resolutions to uphold Pluto's status as a planet despite the IAU decision. Join us to learn more about Pluto and our own relationship to our solar system and beyond.