Scott Tremaine, Richard Black Professor, School of Natural Sciences
One of the remarkable successes of twentieth century astronomy was the demonstration that the laws of physics derived in the laboratory can successfully describe a wide range of astronomical objects and phenomena. One of the great hopes of twenty-first century physics is that astronomy can return the favor, by allowing us to explore physics that cannot be studied in the laboratory. As examples, Professor Tremaine described three exotic forms of matter that (so far) are known to exist only from astronomical observations: black holes, dark matter, and dark energy.

Artist Sheila Hicks created Green Silk Forest, the tapestry bas-relief installed in the Institute Dining Hall last winter. She speaks about projects she has completed in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Japan, and the United States, and she discusses the concepts and construction techniques she uses to create her work.