The Story of Our Universe
An Introduction to Cosmology
About the Course
The Story of Our Universe: An Introduction to Cosmology is a four-week course covering 13.8 billion years of history.
The universe is old. Really old. If its entire history were crammed into one 24-hour day, the first humans wouldn’t arrive until 23:59!
Together we’ll explore this fascinating history. You’ll learn what the early universe was like, how stars and galaxies formed, and how black holes and dark matter work.
You’ll also learn how this story ends—a big freeze where the universe accelerates into a cold and lonely infinitude of nothingness, a big rip where the fabric of spacetime is torn apart at the seams, or something else entirely.
The course is filled with sublime photographs and vivid explanations which are guaranteed to inspire awe, even in the deepest cynic.
With instruction from one of Australia’s leading cosmologists, as well as a community of like-minded peers, you’ll finish this course with a deeper appreciation of our universe’s grandiosity.
Join us as we venture deep into spacetime.
About the Course
The Story of Our Universe: An Introduction to Cosmology is a four-week course covering 13.8 billion years of history.
The universe is old. Really old. If its entire history were crammed into one 24-hour day, the first humans wouldn’t arrive until 23:59!
Together we’ll explore this fascinating history. You’ll learn what the early universe was like, how stars and galaxies formed, and how black holes and dark matter work.
You’ll also learn how this story ends—a big freeze where the universe accelerates into a cold and lonely infinitude of nothingness, a big rip where the fabric of spacetime is torn apart at the seams, or something else entirely.
The course is filled with sublime photographs and vivid explanations which are guaranteed to inspire awe, even in the deepest cynic.
With instruction from one of Australia’s leading cosmologists, as well as a community of like-minded peers, you’ll finish this course with a deeper appreciation of our universe’s grandiosity.
Join us as we venture deep into spacetime.
About your instructor
Professor Alan Duffy
Alan is a professional astrophysicist, creating universes on supercomputers to understand how galaxies form and to probe the nature of dark matter.
He’s currently the Director of the Space Technology and Industry Institute and a Professor at Swinburne University.
Course structure
The course consists of four 90-minute classes and takes place in our virtual classroom over Zoom.
It is a live and interactive course, which features:
- Assigned readings,
- Live lectures,
- Live Q&A sessions with the instructor,
- and Zoom breakout rooms with your intellectually curious classmates.
Can’t make the live classes? No dramas! All lessons are recorded and accessible forever.
To maintain an optimal learning environment, classes are kept small — so be quick in securing your spot!
Lecture Schedule
- Week 1 | The Universe:
- The Road to the Big Bang
- The Laws of Nature
- Week 2 | The Act of Creation:
- The Formation of Stars, Planets, and Supernovae
- Week 3 | Galactic Census:
- Galaxies, Black Holes, and Dark Matter
- Week 4 | With a Bang or a Whimper?:
- The Death of the Universe in a Dark Energy Future
What You'll Learn
Origins
How the universe began and what the early universe was like.
Cosmic Creation
Galactic Census
Death
Course dates
July 2022
$299 | Class Dates
All classes run from 6.00 PM AEST to 7.30 PM AEST
• Week 1: Tue 5 July, 2022
• Week 2: Tue 12 July, 2022
• Week 3: Tue 19 July, 2022
• Week 4: Tue 26 July, 2022