The oldest light in the universe, called the cosmic microwave background, is a fossil from the Big Bang that fills every square inch of the sky. It provides a glimpse of what the universe looked like nearly 14 billion years ago, and can shed light on everything from the evolution of the universe to how much dark matter and dark energy the universe contains.

Recently, two high-profile experiments released new data and analysis of this early light. These data support the theory of cosmic inflation, which posits that the universe underwent an enormous expansion in the moments following the Big Bang. During this time, space grew monumentally, swelling from smaller than a proton to an enormity that defies comprehension.

On Wednesday, February 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. PST (19:30 to 20:15 UTC/GMT), three preeminent scientists will come together to discuss the latest results, what they mean for the theory of inflation, and what we can expect to learn about the very early universe in the coming decade. The participants:

GEORGE EFSTATHIOU is a cosmologist with a leading role in the Planck mission, which studies the oldest light in the universe. He is the director of the Kavli Institute for Cosmology at the University of Cambridge and professor of astrophysics at the University of Cambridge.

CLEMENT PRYKE is an experimental cosmologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota. He has played a leading role in the construction and operation of a series of telescopes that study the universe’s first light from the South Pole, and in analyzing the data they produce.

PAUL STEINHARDT is the Albert Einstein Professor in Science and director of the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science at Princeton University. His research spans particle physics, astrophysics, condensed matter physics and cosmology, and he shared the 2002 P. A. M. Dirac Medal for his role as one of the architects of inflationary theory.

Questions can be submitted ahead of and during this webcast by email to info@kavlifoundation.org or send a message on Twitter with the hashtag #KavliLive.

Contact:
James Cohen
Director of Communications
The Kavli Foundation
+1 805-278-7495
cohen@kavlifoundation.org

NOTE TO WEBMASTERS: An embed code for this webcast is available. To request embed code, contact cohen@kavlifoundation.org