Kraw Lecture: Stars to Soil: A Journey from the Big Bang to Planet Earth

From new insights into the mysterious force driving our universe's expansion to the growing role of astronomers in addressing climate change, Professor Alexie Leauthaud will explore discoveries spanning cosmic scales, sharing prize-winning results that are advancing our understanding of both our universe and our place within it. Leauthaud will discuss our current understanding of the basic ingredients of our Universe and will explain why recent results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Collaboration (DESI) made international headline news earlier this year. She will speculate on what this might mean for the future of our Universe. Zooming into planet Earth, Professor Leauthaud will then explain why astronomers are increasingly becoming involved in the fight against climate change. She will discuss her own journey in recognizing the predicament of life on this blue planet, and will conclude with a big picture view of the challenges that lie ahead.