Julia_Berman DESMA 9 Extra Credit Event 5 Post: UCLA 132nd Faculty Research Lecture “Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies”

Event 5 Post: UCLA 132nd Faculty Research Lecture “Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies”

Screenshot of Email Confirmation of Virtual Event. Personal photograph.

I attended the UCLA 132nd Faculty Research Lecture “Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies” on May 17th, 2022. This lecture featured Alice Shapley, professor of Astronomy at UCLA, who presented artistic illustrations and scientific data while taking viewers on a journey through the timeline of the universe. Shapley discussed how galaxies evolve and develop, giving an illustration from known data pertaining to galaxies in outer space (shown below). 

https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132

“How do galaxies grow?” Reference: screenshot from https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132, 16:30.

Shapley continued her presentation by including an artistic image drawn from both scientific and technical data, as well as creative illustration. Shapley discussed the “Big Bang,” which can be seen as the prevailing theory for the “birth of the Universe,” in which the first atoms and molecules of matter formed. Shapley discussed redshift, a phenomenon in which light from galaxies further away appears redder with a longer wavelength and lower frequency due to the fact that the Universe is expanding (i.e., galaxies are moving further apart from each other) (Alice Shapley 1). This magnificent cosmic timeline is illustrated below.

“The Cosmic Timeline.” Reference: screenshot from https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132, 25:04.

Throughout the lecture, Shapley illustrated how telescopes are a marvel of modern technology and have enabled researchers to visualize phenomena which are virtually invisible to the naked eye. One example of such telescopes is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), shown below. The JWST has captured images of planets, stars, and galaxies; valuable data which help scientists understand the timeline of the universe. The images are also quite beautiful from an artistic standpoint, as well. I really enjoyed being able to attend the UCLA 132nd Faculty Research Lecture entitled “Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies”

“Looking Ahead….” Reference: screenshot from https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132, 40:20.

Works Cited

Dunbar, Brian. NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), 2022, 

https://www.nasa.gov/. 

Dunbar, Brian, and NASA. “Webb's Launch GSFC/NASA.” NASA, James Webb Telescope: 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center, 2022, https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/. 

Hogan, Jenny. “Journey to the birth of the Universe.” Nature vol. 443,7108 (2006): 128-9. 

doi:10.1038/443128a

Prasad, Binod et al. “Exploration of space to achieve scientific breakthroughs.” Biotechnology 

advances vol. 43 (2020): 107572. doi:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107572

Screenshot of Email Confirmation of Virtual Event. 28 April 2022. 

Shapley, Alice, director. University of California, Los Angeles 132nd Faculty Research Lecture: 

"Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies". UCLA Special Events: UCLA 132nd Faculty Research Lecture: "Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies", UCLA Special Events, 17 May 2022, https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132. Accessed 28 May 2022. 

Shapley, Alice. “How Do Galaxies Grow? (16:30).” University of California, Los Angeles 

(UCLA) Special Events: 132nd Faculty Research Lecture: "Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies, UCLA Special Events, Los Angeles, CA (Virtual Event), 17 May 2022, https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132. Accessed 28 May 2022. 

Shapley, Alice. “Looking Ahead… (40:20).” University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Special Events: 132nd Faculty Research Lecture: "Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies, UCLA Special Events, Los Angeles, CA (Virtual Event), 17 May 2022, https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132. Accessed 28 May 2022. 

Shapley, Alice. “The Cosmic Timeline (25:04).” University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) 

Special Events: 132nd Faculty Research Lecture: "Traveling Back in Time to the Birth of Galaxies, UCLA Special Events, Los Angeles, CA (Virtual Event), 17 May 2022, https://uclaspecialevents.ucla.edu/facultyresearchlecture132. Accessed 28 May 2022. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Space + Art Lecture Series: Introductory Lecture 

‘ and Lectures 1-6.”Space+Art Lectures: Module 9: Design and 

Media Arts (DESMA) 9 Course. Space+Art Lectures for Module 9 in the Design and Media Arts (DESMA) 9 Course at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 18 May 2022, Los Angeles, California, https://bruinlearn.ucla.edu/courses/129896/pages/unit-9-view?module_item_id=4852552.