Newswise — The year 2008 will mark the 10th anniversary of the discovery of dark energy and its effect, an unexplained force embedded in the very fabric of space itself that is pushing the universe apart at an ever increasing rate.
Teams of astronomers are pursuing observations to better grasp how dark energy has manifested itself in the tug-of-war with gravity for control of the universe.
Still, despite a decade of research, astrophysicists are totally perplexed as to what dark energy is and what its ultimate effect on the universe will be.
On September 18 the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Md. is hosting a Science Writers Workshop where the key discoverers of dark energy will team up with top theoreticians to review what has been learned to date, and assess what future research needs to be done to begin to understand what dark energy is.
Guest speakers include the two lead-authors on the papers describing the discovery of dark energy:
Dr. Adam Riess, the Johns Hopkins University and STScI
Dr. Saul Perlmutter, the University of California at Berkeley
A Nobel Prize laureate will share his insights into our current state of understanding.
Dr. Steve Weinberg, University of Texas at Austin
Topics will include:
An up-to-date description of the observational evidence for dark energy and of its properties.
Is dark energy really Einstein's cosmological constant?
How far back can we trace dark energy into cosmic history?
What type of research and observatories will be needed to investigate dark energy in the next decade?
What are the consequences of dark energy for the future evolution of the universe?
What potential impact might dark energy have on our understanding of fundamental physics? Could it usher in a new scientific revolution as profound as Einstein's relativity?
Is there room for anthropic reasoning?
The program will allow for ample time for one-on-one interviews with the participants.
This event offers a unique opportunity for journalists to research and prepare dark energy anniversary articles for 2008.
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