Gresham College Lectures

Pulsars, Microwave Ovens and the Radio Sky - Chris Lintott

Mar 4, 2024

The podcast explores the fascinating world of radio astronomy, discussing breakthroughs in detecting planets and the role of the Murayang Parks Telescope. It covers topics like signals from Proxima Centauri, mysteries of radio astronomy, black holes at the galaxy center, and the discovery of LGM1. The discussion also delves into pulsars, fast radio bursts, computing advancements in radio astronomy, and the Square Kilometre Array project.

01:03:00

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Chris Lintott

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Quick takeaways

Exploring new wavelengths beyond the optical realm revolutionizes astronomy.

Pioneering work on radio noise sources leads to significant contributions in radio astronomy.

Discovery of pulsars and fast radio bursts advances navigation tools and alien signal research.

Deep dives

The Exploration of Radio Astronomy

The podcast discusses the ambitious pursuit of astronomers beyond the visible spectrum to explore wavelengths not accessible to the human eye. It highlights the story of perseverance and discovery in radio astronomy, focusing on the search for life in the universe. Mention of the Murayang Parks Telescope and the investigation of signals from Proxima Centauri.

Introduction

2min

Exploring Signals from Proxima Centauri and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence

3min

Unveiling the Mysteries of Radio Astronomy

20min

Exploring the Center of Our Galaxy: From Black Holes to Radio Stars

4min

Observing Radio Waves with High Time Resolution and the Discovery of LGM1

3min

Exploring the Mysteries of Pulsars and Fast Radio Bursts

20min

Advancements in Radio Astronomy and Technological Progress

11min

There have been two major revolutions in how we look at the sky - the shift beyond the optical to other wavelengths, particularly the radio, and the increasing attention paid to how objects change over time.

We start with the discovery of pulsars by Jocelyn Bell Burnell, explore how a microwave oven bamboozled astronomers, and discuss the latest research on Fast Radio Bursts, mysterious events detected in galaxies billions of light-years away.

This lecture was recorded by Chris Lintott on 21st February 2024 at Barnard's Inn Hall, London

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/watch-now/radio-sky

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