On Thursday, October 11, 2018, the Science-Actions association invites you to learn about the latest news from the heavens and discuss all these topics with leading researchers in the field. The Café Scientifique event, titled “In Search of ET: Astronomers, Exoplanets… and the Latest News from the Heavens ,” will take place at Le Beaujolais restaurant in Chambéry and will begin at 8:00 p.m.
"In Search of ET: Astronomers, Exoplanets… and the Latest News from the Skies"
Even though light pollution is making it increasingly difficult for everyone to observe the night sky, the advances in professional astronomy and astrophysics are impressive. Extraordinary discoveries are coming one after another at a steady pace, continually improving our understanding of the universe. For instance, to name just a few examples among many others, there have been countless discoveries of planets orbiting other stars (exoplanets), and we are even able to visualize some of them, whereas just a few years ago, we could only infer their presence indirectly. A second example is the remnant of the light radiation emitted shortly after the creation of the universe in which we live—that is, after the Big Bang. Its precise mapping brings us ever closer to those ultimate moments. Finally, the experimental detection of gravitational waves, which certainly paves the way for a new branch of astronomy—one no longer based on the observation of light but on the distortion of space. Nevertheless, despite all this progress, there are still phenomena we don’t understand that need to be explained by new theories yet to be developed—for example, the masses and energies we can’t observe, which we call dark matter and dark energy, or the origin of life on Earth, which we’re looking for in comets, among other places.
Featuring:
- Alain Hérique, associate professor atthe University of Grenoble-Alpes and comet specialist atthe Grenoble Institute of Planetology and Astronomy;
- Batiste Rousseau, researcher (Rosetta probe) at the Grenoble Institute of Planetology and Astronomy;
- Damir Buskulic, astrophysicist at the Annecy Laboratory of Particle Physics (LAPP) and professor at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc;
- François-Xavier Désert, astronomer and director of the Grenoble Institute of Planetology and Astronomy;
- Pierre Salati, astrophysicist at the Annecy-le-Vieux Laboratory of Theoretical Physics (LAPTH) and professor at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc;
- Richard Taillet, astrophysicist at LAPTH and professor at the University of Savoie Mont Blanc.
SCIENTIFIC CAFÉS
Science Cafés (or “Science and Citizenship Cafés, Debate”) provide the general public with an opportunity to discuss a wide range of topics—often current issues—with experts, researchers, and professionals in a friendly atmosphere. They are organized by the Science Actions association, in collaboration with:
- Savoie Mont Blanc University
- the city of Chambéry
- the Eureka Gallery
- the Beaujolais Restaurant and theAstrée cinema
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