The Universe and Our Place in It

The Great Simplification #111 with Sandra Faber

It’s my belief that for our species, or any complex life forms for that matter, to continue life on this planet, a life ethic is a necessity. There are many avenues for how we might arrive at this understanding of the unique gift we’ve been given in the form of our blue-green home. Joining me today to share her deep knowledge of the cosmos and how it has shaped her view of humans within it is astrophysicist Sandra Faber.

We are the first generation with the ability to truly understand the history of the universe and the extreme bottlenecks that Earth and life as we know it had to endure over the last billions of years. This understanding of where we come from gives us insight into who we are - and could perhaps give purpose to those searching for meaning in the vast universe.

Sandra Faber is an American astrophysicist known for her research on the evolution of galaxies. She is the University Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and works at the Lick Observatory. She has made discoveries linking the brightness of galaxies to the speed of stars within them and was the co-discoverer of the Faber–Jackson relation. Faber was also instrumental in designing the Keck telescopes in Hawaii. At UCSC she focuses her research on the evolution of structure in the universe and the evolution and formation of galaxies. In addition to this, she led the development of the DEIMOS instrument on the Keck telescopes to obtain spectra of cosmologically distant galaxies. On August 1, 2012 she became the Interim Director of the University of California Observatories.

From the Big Bang on, how did the necessary conditions come together to create the environment so many of us take for granted today? How do the laws of physics restrict everything that has ever happened in the universe - and everything that ever will? Could a deeper understanding of the cosmos shift our culture towards one that values human’s survival into deep time - and incentivize biophysically and ecologically aligned systems? 

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In case you missed it…

Last week, I was joined by author and technology analyst John Robb to discuss how geopolitics, information warfare, and technology are shaping how we understand the world and interact with each other. With the recent rise in global tensions and violence, plus an escalating threat of catastrophic scenarios, more and more people sense that the system is increasingly unstable. Coupled with accelerating developments in artificial intelligence, we live in an environment where interpretation and sensemaking - especially at an individual level - are more difficult than ever. During a time where communication and collective problem solving is more important than ever, will it be possible to navigate between tribes and ideological groups among increasing polarization and fractured information systems? 

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