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The University of Western Australia has invited Glasgow-based astronomer and cosmology expert Dr Martin Hendry to help answer some of the big questions about our place in the universe at a free public lecture next Wednesday night.

Dr Hendry will explore the questions posed by the latest cosmological discoveries and discuss what philosophical implications they might have for the existence of life in the universe.

Modern cosmology provides some startling answers to these questions. Not only is the universe expanding but we believe the expansion to be accelerating - driven by a mysterious "dark energy" which challenges our ideas about gravity and the very nature of space and time. Moreover our runaway universe appears to be rather delicately balanced, in the sense that small changes in the laws of nature would result in a very different cosmos - most likely unsuitable for life like us.

In 2005 (International Year of Physics) Dr Hendry was awarded the Basler Chair of Excellence for the integration of the arts and sciences, and gave a series of public lectures in the UK and North America - on themes ranging from "Einstein's Universe" to "Did We Really Land on the Moon?...".

He is a founding member of the Education and Public Outreach group of the LIGO Scientific Collaboration: a worldwide network of more than 600 scientists which is leading the search for gravitational waves.

WHAT :                    Free public lecture presented by Dr Martin Hendry, Senior Lecturer in Astronomy and Director of Teaching in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow.

WHEN: Wednesday, 8 October, 2008, 6.00-7.30pm

WHERE: Ross Lecture Theatre, UWA's Physics Building
(near Reid Library - Hackett Drive entrance 1
Link to map https://www.uwa.edu.au/campus_map?id=2019 )

EDITORS NOTE: Dr Hendry will be available for interview on Tuesday afternoon (October 7) and Wednesday morning (October 8).

ATTACHED PHOTO CAPTION: Dr Martin Hendry and Prof Albert Einstein

Media references

Jenni Wallis (UWA Life and Physical Sciences)  (+61 8)  6488 3263  /  (+61 4) 38 750 223
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716