What Happened AFTER the Big Bang? Bruce Partridge (#375)

What happened after the Big Bang? To answer this question, I invited a true pioneer in the field of cosmic microwave background, Bruce Partridge!

Bruce Partridge is an emeritus professor of astronomy in the science department at Haverford College. He has served as an Education Officer of the American Astronomical Society, president of the Commission on Cosmology, International Astronomical Union, and President of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. 

His research interests lie in the intersection of cosmology and radio astronomy, and he spent most of his career researching the cosmic microwave background.

Join us as we embark on a captivating journey into the early Universe!

Key Takeaways: 

Intro (00:00)

Judging a book by its cover (01:27)

Coupling together theory and experiment (04:18)

The discovery of the coming microwave background (07:23)

Patience and perseverance in scientific research (15:01)

Nerve gas and rabbits in Arizona (18:27)

Why we need to listen to theorists (21:05) 

Inflation and the dominance of a theoretical paradigm (24:59) 

The Big Bang, CMB, and the lithium abundance problem (33:33)

Bruce's philosophy of pedagogy (47:40)

Outro (52:48)

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