How galaxies tell us everything we want to know

University of Manchester Professor of Extragalactic Astronomy Chris Conselice will describe the history of the universe from the big bang until today, using galaxies as a signpost of all formation and origin processes in the universe. As part of this Chris will explain how the James Webb Space Telescope reveals how the first galaxies in the universe formed, and how the evolution and formation of galaxies since that time reveals the universe’s properties and history. This includes cosmological features such as dark energy, the formation of black holes and the nature of the dark matter. Chris will also explain how our understanding of cosmic evolution gives us important information about the possible existence of intelligent life in our universe, and where we might find it.