Lectures on Tap - Studying the Universe from the Bottom of the World

Professors, experts, and storytellers giving thought-provoking lectures in SF bars. 📍 Location: Exact address given in confirmation email 🧠 Lecture: "Studying the Universe from the Bottom of the World" 🎙️ Speaker: Observational Cosmologist, Dr. Clara Vergès Located on the high Antarctic plateau, the South Pole Observatory is one of the most remote scientific outposts on Earth—and one of the most powerful tools we have for understanding the Universe. Join observational cosmologist Clara Vergès as she explains how this unique observatory peers back in time to the moments just after the Big Bang. By measuring the cosmic microwave background with extraordinary precision, scientists can place tight constraints on the physics of the early Universe. But the signal is fragile: astrophysical foregrounds and instrumental systematics threaten to overwhelm it. Clara will share how cutting-edge instrument modeling, systematic studies, and data analysis help disentangle these effects and reveal our cosmic origins. Clara Vergès is a Staff Scientist in the Physics Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and a member of the BICEP collaboration. She completed her PhD at APC in Paris in 2020 and was a Harvard Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Astrophysics until 2024. 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.