For thousands of years humanity has pushed outward, mapping ever larger regions of our world and beyond. Today, astronomers are undertaking the ultimate cartographic challenge: mapping the entire observable Universe.
By measuring the positions and distances of millions of galaxies in vast redshift surveys, we are revealing the cosmic web of large-scale structure and using it to probe the nature of dark matter, dark energy, and gravity itself. The next generation of telescopes is bringing us tantalisingly close to a complete census of every galaxy we can possibly see. At the same time, new gravitational-wave observatories promise to detect black hole mergers across the observable Universe, creating an entirely new map of the cosmos.
Join astrophysicist Tamara Davis for a journey to the furthest reaches of space and time, and discover what these extraordinary maps can tell us about the Universe—and its ultimate limits.
Professor Tamara Davis AM is an astrophysicist and recent ARC Laureate Fellow at the University of Queensland with over two decades experience studying supernovae, black holes, and dark energy. She led the Dark Theme in the Australian Centre of Excellence for All-sky Astrophysics, is currently leading the Australian Dark Energy Survey (OzDES), and is the Deputy Director of the Centre of Excellence for Gravitational Wave Discovery (OzGrav). She is a Member the Order of Australia and her other accolades include the Astronomical Society of Australia’s Ellery Lectureship for career achievement and the Australian Academy of Science’s Millis medal for female scientific leadership. She is an avid communicator of science and occasional guest host of ABC TV’s Catalyst, including the episode “Black Hole Hunters” which won the American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award. When not doing science she loves playing sport – she’s competed at a representative level in seven sports, from surf lifesaving to gymnastics, and has captained Australia in Ultimate Frisbee.
