$4M Templeton Foundation grant funds interdisciplinary strategy to unraveling cosmic mysteries

Pasadena, CA—Carnegie Science’s Drew Newman and Gwen Rudie are key contributors to a brand new interdisciplinary initiative that goals to unravel a few of the most mysterious elements of the cosmos.

Only about 5 % of the universe consists of particles and forces which can be effectively understood by fashionable physics. The relaxation stays a puzzle, together with darkish matter—an invisible substance that shapes galaxies and cosmic constructions—in addition to ubiquitous however puzzling particles referred to as neutrinos, which had been produced moments after the Big Bang.

With a $4 million grant from the John Templeton Foundation, an interdisciplinary group of students from the Carnegie Science Observatories, the University of Southern California, and the University of California Riverside will set up a analysis hub to raised perceive these mysterious elements of the cosmos. 

Called the Lyman-Alpha forest Research Collaboration, or LARC, the analysis group will develop cutting-edge pc fashions to simulate the beginning of construction within the universe, testing completely different theories about how galaxies kind. Comparing these computer-grown fashions of the universe to precise observations of the cosmos will assist reveal quantum properties of its hidden constituents, together with darkish matter and neutrino particles. 

“At its core, LARC is designed to pursue the deepest questions about our universe and the essence of human knowledge: What is the fundamental nature of matter? What forces shape physical reality? What is the meaning of ‘discovery’ when AI and simulation guide the pursuit of truth?” stated USC’s Vera Gluscevic, who will lead the venture together with UC Riverside’s Simeon Bird. 

Added Bird: “The most exciting part is the team, experts in a vast range of disciplines, including theoretical and observational astrophysics, philosophy, computer science, and even interactive data visualization.”

As a part of this groundbreaking new effort, Carnegie’s Newman and Rudie will use cutting-edge observations of hydrogen gasoline in house to hint darkish matter.

“Thanks to new observations with large telescopes, we can now map the three-dimensional structure of intergalactic gas. With the LARC team, we’ll create new ways to use these exciting maps to learn about the hidden universe,” Newman defined.  

The group additionally consists of pc scientists Aiichiro Nakano of USC and Christian Shelton of UC Riverside. Both use synthetic intelligence methods to acknowledge helpful patterns in pc simulations and velocity them up. This will allow astrophysicists to check simulations to actual knowledge collected by telescopes and house missions. 

In doing so, they elevate an necessary philosophical query, one which the group additionally plans to deal with: In fashionable astronomy, what does it imply to “understand” the universe when our data comes from computer-generated fashions.

Historically, gathering scientific data meant formulating theories easy sufficient to be grasped and defined by people. Now, the sheer quantity and complexity of astronomical knowledge problem this conventional strategy, as many insights come from computer-generated fashions past direct human instinct.?

To dig into this conundrum, a group of philosophers, led by USC’s Dmitri Gallow, will study how  new scientific strategies comparable to these could change our understanding of how we produce scientific conclusions  and generate data.  

“Using AI to understand a system as complex as the universe poses significant rewards—but also significant risks,” Gallow indicated. “We need to think carefully about how to responsibly learn from AI.” 

The public may also get an opportunity to take part on this cosmic exploration. Martzi Campos and Sean Bouchard of USC’s movie faculty will produce an interactive visible, which will probably be displayed within the 3D Visualization Lab on the Carnegie Observatories campus. They may also create instructional video games for the general public utilizing the hub’s work as inspiration. 

The large scope of this venture is in line with the ambitions of John Templeton himself, a maverick investor who launched the inspiration with the goal of funding advances in scientific discovery and provoking awe and marvel for the universe.

“Ultimately, it’s the collaborative nature of LARC, combining data from state-of-the-art telescopes with modern theoretical approaches – and bringing the expertise of so many disciplines – that will lead to novel understanding of the cosmos,” concluded Rudie.