Speaker: Dr. David Garofalo, Kennesaw State University
Title: "One Hundred Years of the Universe: The science, the scientists, and the culture behind a century of ideas"
Abstract: One hundred years ago, a paper was presented at the American Astronomical Society on a groundbreaking discovery: the Universe extended far beyond the Milky Way. But the person responsible for the discovery did not dare to present the result. As revolutionary as the idea was, within four years an even more radical idea would emerge. The Universe was not only larger, but space moved, stretched, and expanded. Prior to the turn of the century, astronomers would discover that our expanding Universe harbored black holes, dark matter, and dark energy. While black holes were finally accepted after 50 years of controversy, and dark matter became the dominant paradigm for the formation of galaxies after two generations, dark energy was accepted rapidly. These ideas are presented through the prism of the scientific culture in which the discoveries emerged, including anecdotes and personal experiences.

The year 2025 also marks 100 years of quantum mechanics, another intellectual revolution. Just as quantum theory transformed our understanding of the microscopic world, cosmological discoveries expanded our vision of the Universe itself. Together, they represent twin revolutions—one at the smallest scales of atoms and particles, the other at the largest scales of galaxies and cosmic expansion—that continue to define modern physics.