I’m at a meeting again this week, this time in Vancouver, British Columbia, with more than 100 scientists who have gathered to talk about the science they’ve done using the twin Gemini telescopes. It’s a sort of watershed moment — a celebration of very successful science being done with two 8-meter telescopes that even a decade ago were still under in the planning stages, getting ready for construction.
If you’re into reading what the Gemini researchers — who hail from all over the world — are up to, check out this agenda of papers being given at the meeting. Some of it may seem pretty “far out” and it is, but in a very nice, cosmic way that is giving us an even greater sense of the origins and evolution of the galaxies, stars, and worlds that make up the universe.
Back when I was in graduate school, I often wondered if we had discovered it all, if the big questions had been answered. I suppose every generation thinks they’ve answered the big questions and ‘been there, done that.’ Well, the more I see and hear from astronomers who are “out there” on the forefront of discovery, I don’t think our generation, or even the next several, have a monopoly on the “big discoveries.” The universe is a myriad of details, and there will always be more of them to discern…
