The Visible Sky and the Invisible Web: Our Evolving Universe

For thousands of years, people everywhere have looked up at the same night sky for stories, guidance, and wonder. But today, that sky is changing faster than ever. In this talk, we’ll explore how astronomers study the Universe and why the rapid rise of satellites is beginning to interfere with their view. We’ll also look at the wider impact on culture, the environment, and our shared sense of the cosmos. Finally, we’ll uncover the creative solutions—darker satellite designs, smarter observing techniques, and global cooperation—that could help protect the night sky for both science and future generations.

The Universe is held together by an enormous cosmic “spider web” made mostly of something we can’t see: dark matter. It makes up 85% of all matter, yet we’ve never detected it directly. So how do you study the invisible? By watching how it shapes the things we can see. Some of the best clues come from tiny dwarf galaxies—faint, ancient systems packed with dark matter. In this talk, we’ll explore how these cosmic fossils reveal the hidden structure of the Universe, and how new telescopes like JWST are helping us uncover dark matter’s secrets, one small galaxy at a time.

Come for a pint, stay for the cosmic mystery.