“Space isn’t remote at all. It’s only an hour’s drive away if your car could go straight upwards.” Fred Hoyle
During the past ten years, several Nobel Prizes in Physics have been awarded for scientists studying the secrets of our universe. In 2021, the Finnish Physical Society will air a new series called “A Night with the Space Nobelists ”.
The series – to be published on Youtube in May – will consist of three exciting interviews with recent Nobel laureates. In addition to this, the series will also contain an episode where top Finnish space researchers discuss the science behind the recent Nobel prizes.
The series is produced in collaboration with Aalto University and University of Helsinki. It is supported by Magnus Ehrnrooth foundation and The Finnish Society of Sciences and Letters. The event is part of the Year of Research-Based Knowledge’s programme.
Schedule and links to the episodes:
Tue May 4th Dive into the heart of a supermassive black hole with Reinhard Genzel
Tue May 11th Hunt exoplanets with Didier Queloz
Tue May 18th Solve the mystery of the accelerating expansion of the universe with Adam Riess
Tue May 25th Panel discussion: Nobel Prize: Why does it matter?
Nobelists
Reinhard Genzel is a co-director of the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, a professor at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and an emeritus professor at the University of California, Berkeley. He received the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics (together with Andrea Ghez) “for the discovery of a supermassive compact object at the centre of our galaxy. “
Didier Queloz is a professor at the University of Cambridge and a fellow of Trinity College. He received 2019 Nobel Prize in Physics (together with Michel Mayor) for “the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star“
Adam Riess is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute. He received the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics (together with Saul Perlmutter and Brian P. Schmidt) for “the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae“
Panelists
Maarit Käpylä is a professor at Aalto University and the leader of Solar and Stellar Dynamos research group at the Max Planck Institute. Her research interests focus on exploring stellar magnetic activity using high-performance computing.
Peter Johansson is a professor at University of Helsinki. He studies supermassive black holes, and the formation and evolution of galaxies.
Theoretical particle physicist Venus Keus is a university researcher at University of Helsinki. She explores the early universe.
Massimiano Bucchi is a professor of Science and Technology and Society and Director of the Master SCICOMM at the University of Trento, Italy. He is also the author of several books, including one on the Nobel Prize and the public image of science (Kuinka voitetaan Nobelin palkinto, Gaudeamus, 2018)
Host
Event host Dr. Tommi Tenkanen has a background in cosmology, most recently as a research fellow in the Johns Hopkins University. He is an experienced science writer with an extensive background in public outreach.
picture copyrights: Maarit Käpylä: Matti Ahlgren, Massimiano Bucchi: Vilja Pursiainen, Tommi Tenkanen: Newpix Photography
