MARCH 30, 2014 GENERAL SOCIETY MEETING: THE HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSE & THE “BIG BANG”
At the March 30 general society meeting, 90 AMHS members and friends met to enjoy a nice luncheon, conduct a business meeting, meet one of the 2013 AMHS/NIAF scholarships winners, and enjoy a special, unique experience: a lecture by Dr. John C. Mather, 2006 Nobel Prize winner and NASA scientist based at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Laura Jones, a senior at the University of Maryland double majoring in Italian and Spanish, talked about her experience of studying in Rome, thanks in part to her receipt of the joint scholarship.
Her time in Italy not only assisted her in her study of the Italian language, but also reinforced her appreciation for her Italian heritage. It was a pleasure to hear Laura express herself so confidently and maturely. It turns out that John Mather and his wife, Jane, are also lovers of Italy. Dr. Mather said that it is one of their favorite places to visit, and that a town in Italy sends flowers to the Nobel Prize ceremony every year. When he was eight years old, young John received a biography of Galileo from his parents. From that time on, Galileo became one of his heroes.
Dr. Mather was slated to talk about the origins of the universe, but, in fact, he noted that the universe really has no beginning or end, although scientists can make coherent explanations about the foundation of galaxies, aided by the development of increasingly sophisticated telescopes. Over the years, many firmly held beliefs have been called into question by further experimentation and observation. Dr. Mather said, “One of the lovely things about science is that we can discover we are wrong.” Certainly, one of the lovely things about his lecture is that he could offer explanations in a manner comprehensible even to the unscientific mind.
It was also reassuring to know that even the experts cannot offer definitive answers to many of the age-old questions about the universe, which is constantly expanding, thus constantly challenging even the greatest scientific minds. Dr. Mather’s speech was enhanced by a power point presentation, which showed some spectacular images taken from the COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) project -- whose findings formed the basis for the awarding of the Nobel Prize in physics -- and drawings of his current work, the James Webb Space Telescope.
It was fascinating to see how this very large telescope will be folded for its delivery into space by a much smaller rocket, and then will expand like a butterfly opening its wings. With his approachable and engaging manner and the beautiful graphics, Dr. Mather enthralled the audience throughout the lecture; one could literally hear a pin drop in Casa Italiana, likely a first for an AMHS meeting! After taking a number of questions from the floor, Dr. Mather graciously signed and inscribed copies of his book, The Very First Light, which a number of people purchased. In the works for a future AMHS trip is a tour of Goddard to be led by John Mather. This is certain to be another popular event.