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M. Rees (Institute of Astronomy)
Our understanding of cosmic evolution, and of the basic cosmological parameters, has progressed hugely in recent years. But these (mainly observational) advances bring new questions into sharper focus. The lecture will offer no answers, but will address some of the exciting prospects for the coming decade: Will observations have clarified the origin of the first stars and structures at redshifts of 20 or more? Will dark matter and the so-called 'dark energy' still be as mysterious as they are today? Will new challenges open up on the interface between cosmology and fundamental physics? And will a consensus emerge that our 'observable universe' is a tiny -- and perhaps atypical -- fragment of physical reality?
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.