Three Puzzles from the First Billion Years

Join this lecture titled "Three Puzzles from the First Billion Years" by Girish Kulkarni from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research as part of the Kaapi with Kuriosity series. Explore the mysterious first billion years of our 13.8-billion-year-old universe through the lens of a theoretical astrophysicist. Discover three cosmic puzzles that continue to challenge our understanding: the formation of the first stars and galaxies (cosmic dawn), the ionization of intergalactic medium (reionization), and the unexplained appearance of supermassive black holes. Learn how scientists probe these ancient cosmic events using telescopes, simulations, and radio waves from the edge of the visible universe. The speaker, Girish Kulkarni, works at the intersection of physics, astronomy, and high-performance computing, collaborating with cutting-edge observatories like the James Webb Space Telescope and international projects such as the Square Kilometre Array. The lecture takes place at Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium on Sunday, April 13, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm.