Why Society Needs Astronomy and Cosmology
By Dr. Roberto Trotta. 'One day, Sir, you may tax it': Faraday's prescient quip when quizzed about the practical value of electricity in 1850 neatly demonstrates that advanced societies cannot afford to stifle scientific curiosity for its own sake - a powerful if serendipitous driver of technological and societal progress.
It will be argued that fundamental research into astronomy, cosmology and particle physics is a luxury that humankind cannot do without. This cultural, technological and scientific returns of such an enterprise far outweigh the costs.
| Why Society Needs Astronomy and Cosmology |
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| Survey of Astronomy We'll explore the Sun, the planets, the many other objects found in the Solar System, stars and galaxies, dark matter, dark energy, the fate of the universe, and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. |
| Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics This course focuses on three particularly interesting areas of astronomy that are advancing very rapidly: Extra-Solar Planets, Black Holes, and Dark Energy. |
| Cosmology During this course, you'll have the opportunity to study the cosmos from the modern perspective - what we know and what we're not sure about. |