NOVEMBER 26, 1999
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THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA NOVEMBER 26, 1999 |
| Dr. Simon White — arguably among the most influential astronomers alive today — will deliver a UVic Lansdowne Lecture at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 11 in the David Lam Auditorium.
White is director of Germany’s prestigious Max-Planck-Institute for Astrophysics. A superb speaker, his talk, “The Origin of the Galaxies: Studying Evolution With A Time Machine,” will summarize science’s current understanding of the cosmic environment. Born in England, White has authored approximately 300 research papers, many of which have revolutionized knowledge of how galaxies and galaxy systems form and evolve. He was also a pioneer user of large computers in astronomy to understand what happens when galaxies collide and merge, for example. In addition, his collaboration with UVic astronomer Dr. Julio Navarro is currently one of the most widely cited research papers in astrophysics (see adjoining article). White is a scientific member of the Max-Planck-Society, Germany’s premier research body and a fellow of the Royal Society. He’s also one of the scientific editors of the highly respected research journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. White’s lecture is the latest in a recent string of high-profile visits to UVic by the world’s leading astronomers, including British Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees, Hubble Space Telescope director Robert Williams and Harvard-Smithsonian cosmologist Robert Kirshner. As seating is limited, audience members are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment. |