For the Public:

What exactly *is* cosmology?

Cosmology is the study of the origins of the universe. It looks at how the first stars formed, why different structures like galaxies formed where and when they did, and what was going on before galaxies started forming. Cosmology also investigates what the universe was made out of when it started. In general we assume that the universe began with a big explosion, called the Big Bang. Our lab in particular wants to help describe the Big Bang accurately.

What do we do and how do we do it?

The Big Bang was an explosion, which means when the universe was made it was mostly energy. This energy became mass, or particles (like Einstein said, E = m(c^2); that is, Energy and mass are related and exchangeable. One can become the other). But we can't see what these particles are doing because they get in the way of the light. Imagine if you had a dark room full of balloons and you were trying to see if there was a candle in it. You couldn't tell because the balloons would be getting in the way. Now, the universe has been expanding since its beginning. This expansion causes the particles to get further apart and cool down. Let's say our room filled with balloons is gradually getting bigger. After a while, we'll be able to see through all the balloons to see if there is a light or not. The point in time when we can "see", ie, when we can determine if there is a candle in the balloon filled room, is called "recombination" and the pattern in which the particles (or balloons) are distributed at this point in time is called the "last scattering surface" or the "cosmic microwave background". We can't see anything that happens before recombination, but by looking at the last scattering surface we can make some guesses (for example, perhaps there was an air current in one part of the room, which clustered a whole bunch of balloons on one side). Recombination occurred more than 13 billion years ago! We study this cosmic microwave background to find out more about what was going on in the universe really early on.

How does it benefit the public?

As they say, Enquiring Minds Want To Know! How cool would it be to be able to say, "well, the universe began in this certain way and then after a very short time, it did this!" If we can understand more about how the universe began, maybe we can make more predictions--about how it will end and when (not any time soon!), about what type of stuff is forming elsewhere and when and where--like galaxies, and planets, and maybe even intelligent life!

Is the lab open to visits?

I guess we wouldn't mind if you stopped by, but we don't do tours or anything like that. However, if you have any questions, give us a call or email!