Sir Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal to speak at UVic

One of the leading figures in modern astronomy--Sir Martin Rees, Astronomer Royal--is coming to the University of Victoria to present a free public lecture highlighting recent breakthroughs in understanding the creation and development of the universe.

Rees will speak Saturday, March 20 at 8 p.m. in the University Centre, Farquhar Auditorium.

"Cosmology is experiencing an exciting phase when the 'big picture' is coming into focus for the first time," says Rees. "We can expect a crescendo of discoveries in the new millennium, clarifying how our cosmos evolved, and the role that life plays in it."

His lecture--richly illustrated with slides--is entitled "Back to the Beginning: Understanding our Universe" and is intended for non-specialists.

"Even though the details are technical, the key ideas are accessible and interesting to a wide public," Rees says. "Astronomy has a positive image. It is for this reason especially effective in enthusing young people's interests in science generally."

In his most recent book, Before the Beginning (Addison-Wesley), Rees draws together the many recent advances toward the understanding of our universe--from the big bang to black holes. He also puts forward the "multiverse" concept--speculating that our universe may be only one of a family, even an infinity, of unique universes.

Rees is Royal Society Research Professor at Cambridge University where he and Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time) are colleagues. They first met as research students at the university's famous Institute of Astronomy. But while Hawking is primarily interested in theories about the universe, Rees concentrates his efforts more closely on actual observations.

Rees says the last half-century's "astonishing" progress in understanding the universe presents new questions about its origin, physical laws, and fate.

Rees was appointed the 15th Astronomer Royal by Queen Elizabeth in 1995.

The Rees visit to UVic is made possible by the President's Distinguished Lecture Series and the Royal Society of Canada's UK-Canada Rutherford Exchange Lecture Series.

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