Center for Decoding the Universe Quarterly Forum

The Center for Decoding the Universe is a new center jointly supported by Stanford Data Science (SDS) and the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology (KIPAC). The Center brings together researchers from across campus and SLAC to collaborate on leveraging complex data to inform physical inference.

This Center will pursue answers to the biggest open questions about the universe. On the largest scales, we seek to understand the nature of dark matter and dark energy, and how the structure of the universe as a whole has evolved over cosmic time. We are also investigating the physics that drives the sources observed in the universe—stars, black holes, violent explosions, galaxies, and other exotic or yet-to-be-discovered objects. And we seek to understand our own origins: the structure of our home Milky Way galaxy, and how stars, planets, and eventually life formed within it. We pursue these questions using massive, multi-modal data sets and large numerical simulations.

Astrophysical data and analysis techniques share many commonalities with other domains. This inaugural quarterly Forum will kickstart the Center’s work of identifying and nourishing new ways to apply data science techniques to astrophysical questions. We will hear three broad talks introducing big open questions in astrophysics. Each will be juxtaposed with a talk from a non-astrophysicist, introducing areas of inquiry that use similar data or inference methodologies in different contexts. In each session, we will also hear a series of shorter talks, selected to inspire cross-disciplinary discussion.

Agenda