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Lunch Hour Lecture | Universes, multiverses and simulations

05 March 2024, 1:00 pm–2:00 pm

A photo of the universe

In this talk, Prof Pontzen will address how computer codes have unlocked our understanding of the universe, from galaxies and black holes.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Cost

Free

Organiser

UCL Events

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About the Lecture:

A tapestry of cosmic events stretching over the past 13.8 billion years have shaped our existence in a vast universe. This lecture will explore how the computer simulations to study the cosmos have developed in tandem with more down-to-earth pursuits like weather forecasting. We will see how the resulting computer codes have unlocked our understanding of the universe, from galaxies and black holes to the essence of matter. And the lecture will conclude with a look at the multiverse and the contentious idea put forward by some philosophers and scientists that we may already be living inside a simulation, Matrix-style. The talk is based on the lecturer's critically-acclaimed book “The Universe in a Box”, published in 2023.

About the Speaker

Andrew Pontzen

Professor of Cosmology at UCL

Andrew Pontzen is a professor of cosmology and author of the recent highly-acclaimed book The Universe In A Box. His award-winning research uses computer simulations to shed light on the cosmos. He has written for the Guardian, New Scientist, BBC Sky at Night and BBC Science Focus; appeared on BBC, Amazon Prime and Discovery Channel documentaries; and contributed to BBC radio programmes including Inside Science, CrowdScience and The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry.