Science of the Sky

If you think about it, weather forecasting is scientific soothsaying. Predicting the skies tomorrow, next week, or even next month is a remarkable achievement, and a convenience we often take for granted. But what does weather forecasting actually involve? And why is it so hard to get it perfect? In this talk, I’ll unravel the mysteries behind weather forecasting and separate the facts from the myths. We’ll gain a deeper appreciation for the little weather symbols on our phones and discover why a perfect weather forecast is an impossible task.

99 years ago, an Englishwoman solved the age-old mystery of what stars are made of. Not just the 9,000 visible in the night sky but all 400 billion in our galaxy and in the billions of galaxies beyond. She faced barrier after barrier but each time she won through. A journey that took her from backward looking Cambridge University (for women at least) to the more open thinking of Harvard University and her PhD research to prove the composition of stars. She shattered the wisdom of the day and laid the foundation of modern stellar astrophysics. Cecilia Payne, the forgotten pioneer.