Podcast appearances and mentions of wendy freedman

Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Prof. Wendy Freedman is Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. Her current projects involve measurements of the Hubble constant -- the current expansion rate, as well as the past expansion rate, providing constraints on the acceleration of the universe and dark energyPlease subscribe to this channel:https://www.youtube.com/c/ScientificSense?sub_confirmation=1

In this episode of Gyno Curious, host Dr. Amy Novat engages in a deep, insightful conversation with Dr. Wendy Freedman, the Director of Counseling Services at Vassar College. They discuss the multifaceted challenges and emotional struggles faced by college-aged persons, including the pressures of identity development and the impact of cultural expectations on mental health. Through their dialogue, Dr. Freedman opens up about her personal and professional journey, sharing her passion for psychotherapy and her observations on the evolving needs of young adults in today's society. She highlights the importance of vulnerability, community support, and emotional resilience in fostering well-being among students. The conversation also touches upon the pervasive influence of social media, the meaning and impact of the "woke" and "cancel" culture, and the critical role of parenting in promoting emotional and mental development. Dr. Freedman stresses the dual necessity of allowing young people to overcome struggles and providing a supportive environment. As the episode draws to a close, Dr. Novat and Dr. Freedman discuss practical ways parents can foster resilience and independence in their children while maintaining a secure and loving presence. The episode culminates with Dr. Freedman sharing her personal sources of joy and resilience, emphasizing the significance of personal connections, activism, and the restorative power of dance. https://offices.vassar.edu/counseling-service/contact Questions of comments? Call 845-307-7446 or email comments@radiofreerhinecliff.org Produced by Jennifer Hammoud and Matty Rosenberg @ Radio Free Rhiniecliff

Discrepancies between different measurements of the Hubble constant have caused a major crisis in cosmology.  Our guest today, the incredible Wendy Freedman, is at the forefront of efforts to resolve this tension. Known for her pioneering work on the Hubble Key Project and her important contributions to the measurement of the Hubble constant, Wendy is now using the James Webb Space Telescope to bring clarity to this debate.  With decades of experience and a deep understanding of the complexity of cosmic measurements, there is no one better to shed light on this issue. So, can the James Webb Space Telescope help solve one of the biggest puzzles in cosmology? Tune in to this episode of Into the Impossible to find out!— Key Takeaways:  00:00 Intro  01:18 The role of JWST in solving the Hubble tension  04:01 Comparing different distance indicators 20:45 Standard sirens  34:05 Accurate cosmology vs. precision cosmology  36:35 Vera C. Rubin Observatory and Giant Magellan Telescope 42:50 Wendy's take on dark energy  45:32 Outro  Additional resources:  ➡️ Learn more about Wendy Freedman: 

How old is the universe—and how fast is it expanding? These are part of one of the biggest—and most contested—questions in science, and the answers could change our understanding of physics.In this episode, we talk with renowned UChicago astronomer Wendy Freedman, who's spent decades trying to solve these very questions. There are two ways to measure how fast the universe is expanding, also known as the Hubble constant; Freedman has done groundbreaking research to calculate this number using stars, but the problem is, her numbers don't match up with scientists using a different method. And the implications of that difference are massive, because it could indicate that our Standard Model of physics could be broken.Yet Freedman's latest research, using the powerful James Webb Space Telescope, might finally give us a clearer answer. In our conversation, we explore the age of the universe, the mysteries of dark matter and what all this could mean for the future of physics—and maybe even the discovery of life beyond Earth.

Join Journal Club Download my free guide to Internal Bleaching PDF Follow @dental_digest_podcast Instagram Connect on Instagram: @dr.melissa_seibert on Instagram DOT - Use the Code DENTALDIGEST for 10% off In the corridors of academia, Jed Best, DDS, MS (ADL '72, DEN '79) has emerged as a luminary whose passion for science and technology has remained steadfast, guiding his path through the ever-evolving landscape of dentistry. Armed with a BA in psychology from CWRU, Dr. Best was pursuing PhD programs in neuroscience when CWRU extended an invitation to its dental school, altering the trajectory of his journey. Yet, even amidst the transition, his dedication to the pursuit of knowledge remained unwavering and he has emerged as an authority in the world of dental technology and materials. Most recently, Dr. Best was interviewed in the March 2024 issue of Inside Dentistry regarding the benefits of glass ionomer over other dental restorative materials. After earning his Master of Science in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Minnesota, Dr. Best turned down a faculty position at CWRU to follow his then girlfriend and now wife, Wendy Freedman, Esq. (WRC '73) to her work in New York City. Since then, Dr. Best has been a part-time faculty member at Columbia University for 45 years and served as the pediatric dentist at Sloan Kettering for 12 years where he specialized in treating bone marrow transplant patients. Dr. Best ran his own pediatric practice for 41 years and has served as a past OCE examiner for the American Board. Presently, Dr. Best is one of the section editors of the Journal of Pediatric Dentistry and holds academic appointments at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Dentistry. At the invitation of Dr. Gerald Ferretti, Dr. Best has also been serving his alma mater as a Clinical Professor at Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine since 2011.  Dr. Best is board certified in Pediatric Dentistry and is a Past President of the College of Diplomates of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and Past Chairman of the Foundation of the College of Diplomates. His multifaceted contributions to the field have earned him recognition as a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry and both the International and American College of Dentists. Amidst the achievements, Dr. Best remains grounded, attributing his success to the mentors and peers who shaped his journey. He expresses gratitude to former Dean Thomas DeMarco, Dr. John Gerstenmaier, Dr. Larry Fox and of course, current Dean Dr. Kenneth Chance. As a student, Dr. Best said he was always able to talk to the Dean and other department chairs whenever he needed to, and the Dean and the school supported his effort to attempt both a masters in biomedical engineering and a doctor of dental surgery degree at the same time. Dr. Best's commitment to giving back to his alma mater echoes the spirit of gratitude and camaraderie that defined his formative years. Dr. Best says of his class, “We had so much fun in dental school. That's why I come back to teach and support the school. I don't think students at other schools had as much fun. And I always feel appreciated here.” In addition to Dr. Best's expertise in glass ionomers, he has much to share about the use of AI in caries diagnosis, the dangers of blue light, and the potential hazards of air-powered instruments. In the labyrinth of innovation, Dr. Best has become a well regarded and sought after mentor and coach guiding the next generation of dental professionals.

Wendy Freedman, the former director of the Carnegie Observatories and now distinguished professor at University of Chicago, has been a leading figure in observational cosmology and astronomy for over 30 years. I have known her as a friend and colleague, and have learned much from her over the years, and was very excited to be able to snag her amidst her busy schedule to record a podcast a week or two before the release of a new blockbuster result her team had produced. I am very happy that Critical Mass listeners will be among the first to get the detailed lowdown on the likely resolution of a problem that has been plaguing cosmology for the past decade. In the 1990's Wendy led a major international team of astronomers in carrying the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project. The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) was named in part because of this project, to establish the distance scale of the universe and measure its current expansion rate, a quantity not coincidentally called the Hubble Constant, first measured by Edwin Hubble in 1929. Since that time, different groups have measured this most important single observable in our universe and gotten widely different values. In the 1980's and early 90's two different groups got values that differed by a factor of 2, even though each claimed errors of less than 10%. In 2001, Freedman's team published their result, truly accurate to 10%, and the value, perhaps not surprisingly, fell right in the middle between the previous two discrepant values. All was good, until inferences based on the Cosmic Microwave Background, the most precise observable in modern cosmology suggested that measurements at a time when the universe was 300,000 years old, when extrapolated forward using the best current theory of cosmology today, would give a value that different from the HST value. The difference was statistically significant, and as time proceeded, and error bars got smaller, the discrepancy between the HST (and then the James Web Space Telescope (JWST)) measurement, and the CMB measurement got more significant. Was our current model of cosmology simply wrong?Such was the claim in various places over the past few years. Most recently, Wendy led a team to measure cosmic distances in 3 different ways using JWST, and as she describes in our discussion, it looks like the problem may now be solved, although not without leaving other mysteries.We talked about a lot more than this though. Wendy's background, what got her into astronomy, her experiences throughout her career, and her leadership in a new project building the Giant Magellan Telescope, what will be the largest telescope in the world in Chile. The discussion was as fun as it was exciting. Wendy is a wonderful popular expositor, and as always, I really enjoyed talking to her. Tune in to hear, for the first time, about the newest and most important recent result in cosmology from one of my favorite colleagues and a world class scientist.As always, an ad-free video version of this podcast is also available to paid Critical Mass subscribers. Your subscriptions support the non-profit Origins Project Foundation, which produces the podcast. The audio version is available free on the Critical Mass site and on all podcast sites, and the video version will also be available on the Origins Project YouTube. Get full access to Critical Mass at lawrencekrauss.substack.com/subscribe

We continue our discussion about the Hubble Constant and delve into a few other cosmic anomalies, including the assumption Albert Einstein made regarding the speed of light. And, somehow, we also ended up talking about Noah's flood and the Whopper Sand. You'll have to listen to the end to find out how that happened! Come and see how we think it all points to the glory and majesty of God. Dan's very short video on the whooper sand.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r9COYBra94   The following links are not meant to imply the ideas contained therein reflect those of Good Heavens! or Watchman Fellowship, Inc. All of these, with the exception of Danny Faulkner, are presented from a completely secular perspective of the universe Veritasium Video on the one-way speed of light problem. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTn6Ewhb27k More in-depth on the Hubble Constant - Interview with Christian astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner on the Hubble Constant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqUkhyxCbPE Cosmological constant (not the same as the Hubble constant, but related).  https://wmap.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_accel.html Hubble constant - two different ways to measure (from 2020).  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-a-dispute-over-a-single-number-became-a-cosmological-crisis/ Three ways to measure Hubble constant.  https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/hubble-constant-explained  Brian Keating short video about using magnetism to measure the Hubble constant  https://youtu.be/kBdtvURyJ8Q?si=-wlE-9D1emA-NP1- Dr. Becky most recent video on the crisis.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKmPJmaeP8A Adam Riese from the Space Telescope Science Institute who won the Nobel Prize in the late 90s for discovering the universe expansion was (allegedly) accelerating. His SH0ES team measured the Hubble constant at 74 km/s/mpsc, far above Wendy Freedman's 69.8 and the CMBR at 67.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmDszPExepc   Scientific American article on the HC from October 2023.  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-possible-crisis-in-the-cosmos-could-lead-to-a-new-understanding-of-the-universe/   Wendy Freedman's initial project of measuring HC using the HST to measure Cepheids.  https://www.stsci.edu/stsci/meetings/shst2/freedmanw.html Historical background on the HC from STScI. (2020)  https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2020-volume-37-issue-02/hubble-and-the-constant-the-next-and-the-next-generation Good Heavens! Is a production of Watchman Fellowship, Inc. For more information on our ministry and our sister podcast Apologetics Profile, visit Watchman.org today! Contact Wayne and Dan at  Psalm1968@gmail.com    Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

Probably the only thing that is constant about the Hubble Constant is that it keeps changing! What is it? Why is it such a hot topic in cosmology today and why are some even calling it a "crisis"? Come along with Wayne and Dan as they dive into the quest for the elusive magic number. What does it mean for cosmology and what might it all have to do with the way God made the universe? The following links are not meant to imply the ideas contained therein reflect those of Good Heavens! or Watchman Fellowship, Inc. All of these, with the exception of Danny Faulkner, are presented from a completely secular perspective of the universe More in-depth on the Hubble Constant - Interview with Christian astronomer Dr. Danny Faulkner on the Hubble Constant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqUkhyxCbPE Cosmological constant (not the same as the Hubble constant, but related).  https://wmap.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_accel.html Hubble constant - two different ways to measure.  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-a-dispute-over-a-single-number-became-a-cosmological-crisis/ Three ways to measure Hubble constant. https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/hubble-constant-explained  Brian Keating short video about using magnetism to measure the Hubble constant  https://youtu.be/kBdtvURyJ8Q?si=-wlE-9D1emA-NP1- Dr. Becky most recent video on the crisis. https://youtu.be/yKmPJmaeP8A?si=Wf6ajm4qGuC5CZX6 Adam Riese from the Space Telescope Science Institute who won the Nobel Prize in the late 90s for discovering the universe expansion was (allegedly) accelerating. His SH0ES team measured the Hubble constant at 74 km/s/mpsc, far above Wendy Freedman's 69.8 and the CMBR at 67. https://youtu.be/JmDszPExepc?si=03HqPi3RU5uRkSSl Technical  power point slides from Dr. Jo Dunkley on the PLANK CMBR data on the Hubble constant.  https://online.kitp.ucsb.edu/online/primocosmo13/dunkley/pdf/Dunkley_PrimoCosmo13_KITP.pdf Scientific American article on the HC from October 2023.  https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-possible-crisis-in-the-cosmos-could-lead-to-a-new-understanding-of-the-universe/ Wendy Freedman's initial project of measuring HC using the HST to measure Cepheids.  https://www.stsci.edu/stsci/meetings/shst2/freedmanw.html Historical background on the HC from STScI. (2020)  https://www.stsci.edu/contents/newsletters/2020-volume-37-issue-02/hubble-and-the-constant-the-next-and-the-next-generation Good Heavens! Is a production of Watchman Fellowship, Inc. For more information on our ministry and our sister podcast Apologetics Profile, visit Watchman.org today! Contact Wayne and Dan!    Psalm1968@gmail.com    Podbean enables our podcast to be on Apple Podcasts and other major podcast platforms.  To support Good Heavens! on Podbean as a patron, you can use the Podbean app, or go to https://patron.podbean.com/goodheavens.  This goes to Wayne Spencer. If you would like to give to the ministry of Watchman Fellowship or to Daniel Ray, you can donate at https://www.watchman.org/daniel. Donations to Watchman are tax deductible.

This podcast is a commentary and does not contain any copyrighted material of the reference source. We strongly recommend accessing/buying the reference source at the same time. ■Reference Source https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_freedman_this_telescope_might_show_us_the_beginning_of_the_universe ■Post on this topic (You can get FREE learning materials!) https://englist.me/160-academic-words-reference-from-wendy-freedman-this-telescope-might-show-us-the-beginning-of-the-universe-ted-talk/ ■Youtube Video https://youtu.be/YFx7-R4LUg8 (All Words) https://youtu.be/HaNl2FmoNHw (Advanced Words) https://youtu.be/2RTydhrgsa0 (Quick Look) ■Top Page for Further Materials https://englist.me/ ■SNS (Please follow!)

In this week's episode, David is joined by Wendy Freedman. Prof Freedman is a legendary cosmologist, who has played a central role in understanding the expansion rate of our Universe. She is a Professor of Cosmology at University of Chicago, has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a legacy fellow of the American Astronomical Society and winner of the Gruber Prize in Cosmology. Her recent work has focussed on precise measurements of the expansion rate of the Universe and has been a the heart of the so-called "Crisis in Cosmology" that we get into in today's episode.   To support this podcast and our research lab, head to www.coolworldslab.com/support

What do the early galaxies discovered by JWST tell us about the early universe? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Matt Kirshen explore the expansion of space, dark energy, and the age of the universe with astronomer, Wendy Freedman.NOTE: StarTalk+ Patrons can listen to this entire episode commercial-free.Thanks to our Patrons Fernando Colón, Richie Mercado, Miami John, David Rivera, Matthew Reason, and Kostas Chaskis for supporting us this week.Photo Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, I. LABBE

When different groups of astronomers measure the expansion rate of space, they get different answers. Who's right? Or are they both right, and new physics is afoot?

Answering the Most Important Problem in Cosmology Today: Is the Tension in the Hubble Constant Real? Scientific Sense ® by Gill Eapen: Professor Wendy Freedman is Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. Her current projects involve measurements of the Hubble constant -- the current expansion rate, as well as the past expansion rate, providing constraints on the acceleration of the universe and dark energy. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scientificsense/message

In this episode, Jess and Jess sit down for a very honest and difficult conversation with Rebecca McWilliams and Wendy Freedman, both avid supporters and advocates as well as members of the Nicole Addimando Community Defense Committee. Together, they introduce Nikki Addimando, a mother of two, teacher, respected community member, and domestic violence survivor. In 2017, Nikki was forced to protect herself and her children's lives, by killing her abuser, Chris Grover. In February 2020, Nikki was sentenced to 19 years to life for the killing of her abuser, and the Community Defense Committee believes Nikki is a victim of the criminal justice system, and will not accept this result of Nikki protecting her own life, as well as that of her children's.It's not shocking that 67% of women sent to prison in 2005 for killing someone close to them were abused by the victim of their crime (NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision). Rebecca and Wendy share their expertise and advocacy work around not just Nikki's case, but also for every woman who is being held hostage by their abuser, and sees the only way out is to defend themselves in whatever manner possible. By raising awareness about Nikki and the horrific abuse she survived, the Committee aims to keep other victims of domestic violence from being criminalized by the courts, but more than that, they work tirelessly to continue advocating on behalf of Nikki, so that she may be justly returned home to live in safety with her two children. On April 22, 2021, Nicole Addimando will stand before a judge for her appeal hearing and the hope and prayer is that Nikki's sentence will be overturned. We Stand With Nikki and other criminalized survivors, that justice indeed will be served, and Nikki will no longer be criminalized for her right to survive, and that she will be rightfully returned to the arms of her two children, so that she may take her place as a pillar of strength and resilience in her community, once again. For more information about We Stand With Nikki and the Nicole Addimando Community Defense Committee, as well as a complete resource list for organizations and articles about Nikki and the issue around criminalizing survivors, go to: https://westandwithnikki.com/*** For more in depth information on Nikkis case and the overall issue of criminalized survival keep an eye out for Justine Vanderluen's upcoming podcast "Believe Her" presented by Lemonada in association with Speigel and Grau, set to be released Fall of 2021.Meet Wendy:Wendy Freedman is a clinical psychologist and the director of the Vassar College Counseling Service. Deep affection and love for her family, friends and community has led to a passion for social justice, and a commitment to partner with fellow allies to try to contribute to positive change. Wendy has been honored to be a member of the Nicole Addimando Community Defense Committee for over 3 years and is privileged to work with an incredible group of advocates to fight for Nikki and all criminalized survivors. Meet Rebecca:Rebecca McWilliams is the Executive Director of Girls on the Run Birmingham in Birmingham Alabama. She is a native of Baltimore, MD and received her BA in Public Communications from American University. She is passionate about empowering women and girls, and through her work advocating for Nikki Addimando, has become increasingly aware of our troubled criminal justice and prison systems and the deep inequities that exist within those systems. She is a proud member of the Nicole Addimando Community Defense Committee. Support the show (http://www.paypal.com)

Cosmology at a crossroads, the legacy and development of the Hubble constant, and The Carnegie-Chicago Hubble Program: An Independent Determination of the Hubble Constant Based on the Tip of the Red Giant Branch Professor Wendy Freedman is professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. Professor Freedman is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Physical Society, and a Legacy Fellow of the American Astronomical Society. She is a recipient of the American Philosophical Society's Magellanic Prize and co-recipient of the Gruber Cosmology Prize. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/scientificsense/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/scientificsense/support

Host of Into The Impossible Professor Brian Keating, David Spergel, Janna Levin, Sara Seager, Wendy Freedman, & Nobel Prize winner Adam Riess debate the hottest topics in modern astronomy while celebrating the Hubble Space Telescope’s 30th birthday! An all-star (get it??) party featuring observations of Hubble’s ‘greatest hits’, courtesy of Wyoming Stargazing Association! Plus we debated the greatest mysteries in the Universe including: What is the nature of Dark Matter? How did the Universe begin? How will it end? Is there life beyond earth? What is the nature of Dark Matter and Dark Energy? What is causing the Hubble Tension and how will it be resolved? Brian Keating’s most popular Youtube Videos: Eric Weinstein: https://youtu.be/YjsPb3kBGnk?sub_confirmation=1 Jim Simons: https://youtu.be/6fr8XOtbPqM?sub_confirmation=1 Noam Chomsky: https://youtu.be/Iaz6JIxDh6Y?sub_confirmation=1 Sabine Hossenfelder: https://youtu.be/V6dMM2-X6nk?sub_confirmation=1 Sarah Scoles: https://youtu.be/apVKobWigMw Stephen Wolfram: https://youtu.be/nSAemRxzmXM Host Brian Keating: ‍♂️ Twitter at https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating Instagram at https://instagram.com/DrBrianKeating Buy my book LOSING THE NOBEL PRIZE: http://amzn.to/2sa5UpA Subscribe for more great content https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1 ✍️Detailed Blog posts here: https://briankeating.com/blog.php Join my mailing list: http://briankeating.com/mailing_list.php Join my Facebook Group: https://facebook.com/losingthenobelprize ️Please subscribe, rate, and review the  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

COSMOS - Everything in the universe has a beginning, but how can the universe as a whole have a start date? Does a universal commencement make sense? What would it possibly mean? Featuring Martin Rees, Wendy Freedman, Alan Guth, George Smoot and Alexander Vilenkin.

Owner of Polkadots and Moonbeams, and 2x breast cancer survivor Wendy Freedman talks about her upcoming fundraiser for the Dr. Susan Love Foundation. Alex Medina from APLA joined Elizabeth to talk about AIDS Walk LA, and the huge battle in Culiacan, Mexico, and how they've been weaponized by the USA.

Wendy Freedman spent part of her career measuring the age of the universe. Now she’s working on a project that may very well give scientists a chance to glimpse into its birth.   Freedman, the John & Marion Sullivan University Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics, works in the field of observational cosmology, measuring the expansion rate of the universe. In 2001, she and a team of scientists found that the universe is around 13.7 billion years old—far more precise than the previous estimate in the 10- to 20-billion-year-old range. Freedman was the founding leader from 2003 until 2015 of an international consortium of researchers and universities (including UChicago) to build the world’s largest telescope high in the mountains of Chile. The Giant Magellan Telescope will be as tall as the Statue of Liberty when complete, and ten times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope—with the ability to look back at the dawn of the cosmos. On this episode of Big Brains, Freedman discusses her research on measuring the age of the universe, her leadership of the Giant Magellan Telescope and the search for life outside our solar system.    Subscribe to Big Brains on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Google Play, and learn more at news.uchicago.edu

Wendy Freedman from University of Chicago delivers a talk titled “Hubble’s Expanding Legacy: Our Unexpected Universe.” This talk was included in the session titled “Faster Than Ever: The Accelerating Universe.” Part of “First Light: The Astronomy Century in California, 1917–2017,” a conference held at The Huntington Nov. 17–18, 2017.

An in-depth conversation with Professor Wendy Freedman on the topic of space exploration with ground based telescopes. We discuss the history of space exploration using ground based telescopes, and try to imagine the future that what is next. Professor Wendy Freedman gives a detailed description of the features of the Giant Magellan Telescope, a ground based extremely large telescope under construction. We discuss the challenges involved in constructing the GMT and talk about the research opportunities that this extremely large telescope, once completed, will present. Professor Wendy Freedman is one of the world’s most influential astronomers. Freedman is a professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. She was also the chair of the board of directors of the Giant Magellan Telescope project from its inception in 2003 to July 2015. More than a decade ago, Wendy Freedman led a team of 30 astronomers who carried out the Hubble Key Project to measure the expansion rate of the universe. Her research now focuses on measuring both the past and present expansion rates of the universe, and on characterizing the nature of dark energy – the mysterious force that causes the universe to accelerate its expansion. A Correction Note (Audio at 14:10 minutes): While discussing 60-inch telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory, we got the dates mixed up. The telescope was commissioned in 1908; the 'First Light' was on December 8, 1908. Astronomer Harlow Shapely used this telescope to make a number of observations about our galaxy the Milky Way. However it was not until 1917-18 that he concluded, based on his observations, that the Sun was not at the centre of our galaxy.

Feature Guest: Wendy Freedman A long long time ago in every place at once, all of this began. But when exactly did the universe begin? And how quickly did it expand into the structure we see around us? Those numbers are more difficult to nail down than we had thought, yet more critical to our understanding of the nature of the cosmos, of dark matter and dark energy, than we could have ever imagined. Today we're joined at The Star Spot by cosmologist Wendy Freedman who recently stepped down after 12 years heading up the development of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Current in Space Anuj wonders if magnetic worm holes will one day transport us to the far reaches of space. And with Pluto data analysis just getting underway, Tony provides the new targets for the New Horizons spacecraft. About Our Guest Wendy Freedman is Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. Among the world’s most influential astronomers, Freedman served as co-leader of the Hubble Space Telescope Key Project and is former director of the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California. She served 12 years as chair of the Board of Directors for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT) Project, an optical telescope with a primary mirror 80 feet in diameter scheduled to begin operations in 2021. Freedman is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. She is a recipient of the 2009 Gruber Prize for Cosmology.

If you experience any technical difficulties with this video or would like to make an accessibility-related request, please send a message to digicomm@uchicago.edu. The 11 international partners of the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, which includes the University of Chicago, announces the commitment of more than $500 million to begin construction of the first of a new generation of extremely large telescopes. This animated video shows the operation of the Giant Magellan Telescope. Announcing the project’s construction phase and commenting on its capabilities are Wendy Freedman, chair of the GMTO Board of Directors; Matthew Colless, vice chair of the GMTO Board; and Edward Moses, GMTO president. (Credit: Giant Magellan Telescope—GMTO Corporation)

With today's technology, astronomers can see billions of years into the past, but they've never been able to see the first light emitted in the universe after the Big Bang. That could be about to change thanks to a new high-powered telescope being developed by the University of Chicago and ten partner organizations. The billion dollar Giant Magellan Telescope is one of the first in a new generation of extremely large, earth-based telescopes, which may spur a new era for astronomy. Wendy Freedman is the board chair for the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization, and a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the U of C. She joins us with more.