Abstract : Modern cosmology is at once glorious and absurd - detailed measurements of various types all fit the now standard LCDM cosmological model, but this model demands that ordinary matter is sub-dominant to mysterious dark matter, and even more mysterious dark energy. This last is particularly troubling because it implies that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating, and will continue to do so without limit! One of the main pillars of the standard cosmology is observations of the cosmic microwave background. After reviewing what the CMB is and how it tells us about the Universe I will focus on a series of experiments conducted over the last ten years at the South Pole in Antarctica, and the push to the final frontier of CMB research --- the search for the polarized imprint of gravitational waves spawned in the first instant of creation.

The seminar will be held at 3:30pm in 238 . UIC Physics Dept/SES. is located at 845 W Taylor St., Chicago, IL, 60607