Special Event: Cosmic Beginnings

Unveiling the First Billion Years in the History of the Universe with Revolutionary New JWST Observations

How did the Universe form and how did it evolve at the very beginning? The major cosmology experts worldwide will be convening in the neutral and welcoming environment at ISSI to discuss specific questions like „Where did the stars in the first galaxies form and how extreme were they?“„In what ways are the first galaxies unique?“, and „Are  new  discoveries challenging the cosmological framework?“.  The new revolutionary observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), one of the most ambitious scientific experiments of the 21st century, are adding new energy to the debate on the beginning of the Universe, and are challenging our current understanding.

ISSI takes this opportunity to bring the very latest news to the public by hosting a lecture followed a panel discussion with the scientific experts to debate fundamental open questions and the new insights into the chronology of the first Billion years of the Universe.

Program:
17:30 Welcome remarks
Antonella Nota, ISSI Bern
Christoph Mordasini, University of Bern
Renato Krpoun, Swiss Space Office

17:40 What is the James Webb Space Telescope?
Susan Kassin, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, USA

18:00 Unveiling the First Billion Years in the History of the Universe with Revolutionary New JWST Observations
Pascal Oesch, University of Geneva, Switzerland

18:30 ‘Cosmic beginnings’ panel discussion
Jane Rigby, NASA GSFC, USA
Pascal Oesch, University of Geneva, Switzerland
Alice Shapley, University of California, Los Angeles, USA
Willy Benz, University of Bern, Switzerland
Susan Kassin, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, USA
Claus Beisbart, University of Bern, Switzerland