Upcoming Events

02/29/2012 - 6:45pm
The Universe from Beginning to End

Dr. Brian Schmidt

2011 Nobel Laureate for Physics

The Australian National University,
The Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics,
Mount Stromlo Observatory

 

In 1998 two teams traced back the expansion of the universe over billions of years and discovered that it was accelerating, a startling discovery that indicated more than 70% of the cosmos was in the form of dark energy. 2011 Nobel Laureate for Physics Brian Schmidt, leader of the High-Redshift Supernova Search Team, will describe this discovery and explain how astronomers have used observations to trace our universe's history back more than 13 billion years, leading them to ponder the ultimate fate of the cosmos.


Co-hosted by the Carnegie Institution for Science with the Embassy of Australia.
 

03/28/2012 - 6:45pm
Bacteria Are Beautiful

Dr. Diane Newman
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
California Institute of Technology,
Division of Geological & Planetary Sciences

 

It is a commonly held fallacy that bacteria are germs, but it has been estimated that out of more than 30 million microbial species, fewer than 100 are pathogens. The vast majority of bacteria are actually doing remarkable things and are essential both for our quality of life and that of the planet. You will be surprised to learn the extent to which our existence depends on these ancient and ubiquitous organisms.

 

Co-hosted by the Carnegie Institution for Science with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
 

04/26/2012 - 6:45pm
Stem Cells and Cancer: A Deadly Alliance

WITTGENSTEIN LECTURE

Dr. Juergen Knoblich
Austrian Academy of Sciences,
Institute of Molecular Biotechnology

 

Winner of the 2009 Wittgenstein Prize, Dr. Knoblich was honored for his work on asymmetric cell division.

 

A revolution is currently underway in the field of cancer research. Scientists have discovered unexpected roles for stem cells in cancer development that challenge current therapeutic approaches and open new avenues for cancer treatment. Dr. Knoblich has used the fruitfly Drosophila to identify the cellular defects that turn normal stem cells into cancer-initiating cells. He will explain the cancer stem cell hypothesis and its impact on treatment. He will also tell us how research in fruitflies has solved some of the greatest puzzles in biology, leading to a better understanding of cancer.

 

Co-hosted by the Carnegie Institution for Science with the Office of Science & Technology at the Embassy of Austria and the Austrian Science Fund FWF.