The sound of silence: Listening to the Universe

We are most familiar with what the Universe looks like in “normal” light. However, the world around us—our Sun, the planets, the stars beyond, galaxies and even the leftovers from the Big Bang that started it all—is abuzz with sounds – sounds that we cannot hear directly, although we can transfer the signals we receive from this wide variety of astronomical sources to the range accessible to human hearing. Sometimes, signals are mistaken for the telltale signs of alien civilisations. We will explore the unheard side of the Universe – listen rather than look!

Prof Richard de Grijs

Richard de Grijs is a prolific public speaker on topics ranging from astronomy and astrophysics to maritime history. Richard holds professional appointments as professor of astrophysics at Macquarie University and as Executive Director of the International Space Science Institute--Beijing. He recently published the first detailed biography of William Dawes, the astronomer assigned to the “First Fleet” from England to Australia (1787–1788). His academic accolades include the 2012 Selby Award from the Australian Academy of Science, a 2017 Erskine Award from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand) and the 2023 Excellence in Research Integrity award from Macquarie University's Faculty of Science and Engineering. He also received the 2022 Blacktown Mayoral History Prize and the 2022 Hella Mannheimer Award (Hektoen International Journal of Medical Humanities).

Note: This will be an in-person presentation at the Green Point Observatory. Members will also recveive an invitation to join online for those who cannot make it to the GPO.