Farmers. Bankers. Nurses. Teachers. Regardless of our backgrounds, beliefs, occupations, or place in the world, we all share a deep curiosity about what lies beyond our view. Since prehistoric times, we’ve looked up at the night sky and wondered what is out there, and looked inward and wondered what we are made of. 

Carl Sagan said, “The cosmos is within us; we’re made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”  

But what does that mean? How does the universe work? How big is it? And how are we all connected to it ... and each other? 

Recent advances in technology and science have ushered in a kind of renaissance — an explosion of our understanding of the Cosmos. But with each new answer comes a whole new list of questions. 

In an effort to share all the exciting and often mind-bending revelations with the public, UC Davis scientists Lloyd Knox and Markus Luty are bringing their combined knowledge and expertise on the road for a traveling conversation called Cosmic Connections.  

Cosmic Connections events are free to the public. They are not lectures, but begin with a brief presentation followed by an extensive question and answer session with the audience. Lloyd and Markus will bring their expertise and enthusiasm anywhere curious minds want to meet: bars, churches, libraries, barns, or backyards. With a philosophy of “no question too big or too small,” Cosmic Connections promises that the audience will leave with a deeper understanding of the cosmos and their connection to it.

Why Cosmic Connections?

UC Davis is well-known for its world-leading programs in the fields of agriculture and veterinary medicine, but few of our neighbors realize that UC Davis is also a powerhouse in the world of physics. The research done in the UC Davis physics and astronomy department includes research done at the worlds' premier research facilities, including the Large Hadron Collider and the Vera Rubin Observatory. The department is also a world leader in the quest to understand dark matter and dark energy, gravitational waves, and the fundamental laws of physics. 

Meet the Presenters
 

Cosmologist Lloyd Knox was born in Washington, D.C., and has always had a curious mind. As soon as he could read, he started borrowing science books from the library — especially  books about astronomy. He studied at the University of Virginia and the University of Chicago, and then honed his research skills at a couple of temporary jobs before heading west to join the faculty at UC Davis in 2000. He loves sharing our knowledge (and ignorance) of the cosmos, and has done so for three decades with a diversity of audiences across the country: from third graders to retirees and all ages in between.   

Particle physicist Markus Luty was born in Germany and grew up in Utah. He was inspired to become a scientist by his father, a physicist who impressed him by having collaborators from all over the world and wearing shorts to work. He studied at University of Utah and University of Chicago, and his field of research concerns the theory of elementary particle physics. He has given many public talks on his research. Outside of work, he loves the outdoors, B-movies, talking to strangers, and hanging out with family and friends.