HORNING LECTURE: Evolution on the Grandest Scale: Cosmology and Flashpoints of Controversy

The modern era of cosmology began nearly one hundred years ago. From the start, the field has engendered controversy, both within and beyond the halls of science. At its root stands Einstein's elegant theory of gravitation, general relativity. Einstein's contemporaries saw in his equations a universe that could evolve over time -- a possibility that Einstein himself initially rejected. Other physicists worried that an evolving universe might sound too much like the biblical account, and urged caution. Soon after World War II, scientists elaborated competing cosmologies -- the big bang and steady-state models -- each built upon Einstein's work. As before, the terms of debate ranged widely, from the latest astronomical data to charges of political and religious dogmatism. More recent developments have been inspired by string theory, which seeks to surpass Einstein's relativity. Cosmologists now describe different "stringy" scenarios by which our observable universe might have evolved, together with a tremendous multitude of unseen universes. The latest work, controversial among working scientists, has also encountered push-back from adherents of "intelligent design." Cosmic evolution remains just as fascinating -- and just as able to stir controversy -- as ever. David Kaiser is an associate professor in MIT's Program in Science, Technology, and Society, and a lecturer in MIT's Department of Physics. He studied physics as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College before completing two Ph.D.s at Harvard University, one in theoretical physics and the second in the history of science. His physics research focuses on early-universe cosmology, working at the interface of particle physics and gravitation. His historical research focuses on the development of physics during the twentieth century. His book Drawing Theories Apart: The Dispersion of Feynman Diagrams in Postwar Physics appeared in 2005. He also is the editor of Pedagogy and the Practice of Science: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives (2005) and numerous articles. His work has been honored with awards from the American Physical Society, the History of Science Society, the British Society for the History of Science, and MIT.