A dialogue between Balzan Prizewinners astrophysicists in London
Paolo de Bernardis and Joseph Silk at the Italian Cultural Institute on 16 June
At 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday 16 June at the Italian Cultural Institute in London (39 Belgrave Square), Paolo de Bernardis, 2006 Balzan Prize for Observational Astronomy and Astrophysics, and Joseph Silk, 2011 Balzan Prize for the Early Universe, will meet for a discussion on the theme “The Future of Cosmology. From the First Light in the Universe to the Dark Ages”.
The event, organised by the International Balzan Foundation and the Italian Cultural Institute in London, will be introduced by Francesco Bongarrà, Director of the ICI London, Nicolò Biscottini, First Secretary of the Italian Embassy, and Frances Ashcroft of the Balzan General Prize Committee.
ABSTRACT:
Modern cosmology is no longer confined to Earth. To understand the birth and evolution of our universe, we are venturing to the most isolated pockets of our solar system. This quest is defined by two parallel frontiers: the search for the “First Light” and the exploration of the “Dark Ages.”
Experimentalists are now developing cutting edge, remote ground-based telescopes and a new satellite to launch to the ambitious L2 Lagrange point. They will scan the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) for the ultimate prize: B-mode polarization. These faint swirls in the oldest light are the potential fingerprints of primordial gravitational waves, offering a direct window into the first trillionth of a trillionth of a second after the Big Bang.
At the same time, we are looking toward the Far Side of the Moon to solve the mystery of the Dark Ages ― the era before the first stars. By building radio telescopes in the Moon’s radio-silent shadow, we aim to detect ultra-long radio waves from ancient hydrogen clouds. Together, these measurements represent a pincer maneuver on the unknown: one refining our view of the infant universe’s light, the other illuminating the structures that grew from the darkness.
Join our speakers as they discuss the extreme engineering and theoretical precision required to extract these cosmic truths from an overwhelming background of local noise.
