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Revolution in Cosmology
Following up on the 2006 Colloquium titled "Revolution in Cosmology," this Conversation tackles topics such as superstring theory and supersymmetry, black holes and dark energy, and what comes after the Large Hadron Collider. Heather Preston – a NASA researcher, astronomy instructor and Mensan – discusses all this and more with George Musser, editor for Scientific American magazine and author of The Complete Idiot’s Guide to String Theory. Musser was the keynote speaker for the 2006 event. (50 minutes)
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A popular editor and contributing writer for Scientific American, George Musser has followed the "revolution" in cosmology from day one with an eye toward "revelation." He has edited, written or commented on nearly every cosmology issue, and his style makes reading the latest advances in science a pleasure — a rare ability indeed. Musser earned a Master of Science in Astronomy degree from Cornell University in 1993; his numerous professional awards include a National Magazine Award for editorial excellence and a Global Media Award from the Population Institute. Learn more about his book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to String Theory, at www.strings.musser.com.
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Specializing in asteroseismology, gas dynamics and computational fluid dynamics, Preston is a research astronomer for Eureka Scientific and co-investigator for the Spitzer Sace Telescope, studying P-mode oscillations in the Hyades. She is also a paid researcher for NASA ADP, working on the discovery and characterization of Variable B Stars using the WIRE Database, and a paid researcher for the Kepler Mission. Her work has appeared in more than 50 publications including The Astronomical Journal, The Astrophysical Journal, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, Astronomy and Astrophysics, and the Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. |
Scientific American
Scientific American, the oldest continuously published magazine in the U.S., has been bringing its readers unique insights about developments in science and technology for more than 150 years. As a membership benefit, Mensans get the lowest subscription rate currently offered for Scientific American MIND.
Colloquium
American Mensa’s first Colloquium was held in October 1982 "to offer a forum… to explore, debate, evaluate and offer judgment on a major issue of long-range importance to society." Now sponsored by the Mensa Foundation as part of its mission to support events that expand learning, the Colloquium series creates a climate of intellectual excitement in which concepts are explored, dialogues are started and ideas are generated in new directions.
Colloquium is an annual event that takes place over one weekend; it is open to the general public. For more information on the event, visit www.colloquium.us.mensa.org.
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