Lectures on Tap - A History of the Universe: Discovery, Dark Matter & More

📍 Location: Exact address given in confirmation email

🧠 Lecture: "A History of the Universe: Discovery, Dark Matter & More"

🎤 Speaker: Dr. Patrick Wells

Join us for a captivating evening with Dr. Patrick Wells as we journey through the history of the universe, from its earliest moments to the cosmos we see today. While stars and galaxies light up the modern universe, the ancient universe is a far more enigmatic place—shaped by invisible forces like dark matter and dark energy that continue to puzzle scientists.

In this engaging talk, Dr. Wells will trace how our understanding of the universe has evolved, highlighting the human story behind discovery: imagination, rivalries, and moments of serendipity that changed everything. You’ll hear about cutting-edge breakthroughs in astrophysics, how we study the cosmos with powerful supercomputers, and why recent findings may upend what we thought we knew about space and time.

Dr. Patrick Wells is a Chicago-based astrophysicist, software engineer, and science communicator. A postdoctoral researcher at Argonne National Lab, he builds tools that make vast cosmological datasets accessible to astronomers worldwide.

Get a drink, connect, and learn at Lectures on Tap! 🙌

Agenda

6:30 PM – Doors open: find a seat (open seating!), order food & drinks, and expect a bar line—arriving early is key.

6:55 PM – Host introduction

7:00 PM – Lecture begins

7:45 PM – Audience Q&A

8:00 PM – Have 1:1 time with the speaker, mingle with fellow guests, and order another round

8:30 PM – Wrap up.