The Next Big Idea 10 concepts that could - University of Toronto ...

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the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics.
“CITA is already world-renowned for
theoretical astrophysics,” says Graham, who was previously
chair of astronomy at the University of California,
Berkeley. “The goal is to match its extraordinary impact,
but focusing on the experimental instrumentation aspects
of astrophysics.” That, of course, means telescopes –
Graham is an ardent supporter of the planned Thirty
Meter Telescope, set to be the world’s largest – as well as
the sophisticated devices needed to turn the dim light of
unfathomably distant objects into useful scientific data.
Graham is renowned for his work in “adaptive optics,”
which allows telescopes to correct for the blurring caused
by the Earth’s atmosphere, and for his work in developing
instrumentation for infrared astronomy. But he is also a
hands-on observer: In 2008, Graham was part of the team
that discovered Fomalhaut b, the first exoplanet – a planet
orbiting a star beyond our solar system – to be directly
imaged in visible light.
But seeing these distant worlds is just the beginning.
Graham would like to understand how planetary systems
form – a question that has been hotly debated but never
solved. “It’s really the simplest question that you can ask
about the origin and evolution of planets,” he says. There
are at least two competing theories – core accretion and
gravitational stability – but which one is correct The
Dunlap Institute, says Graham, is poised to build the
telescopes and the detectors that will answer that question.
“We have the capability within our grasp of seeing these
planetary systems directly, and seeing which of these
theories is valid.”
This is also an example of how, for Graham, there is
really no way of separating theoretical work from
experiment and observation; in fact, they go hand-inhand.
Theory can make predictions, but it also serves as
“a springboard to focus your experimental activity,”
he says. “[It tells you] what experiments need to be done,
what technologies need to be developed to explore these
predictions.”
For Graham, the rest of the universe is equally fascinating
– and what he’s learning about planets will likely
pay off further afield. “The wonderful thing about astrophysics
is that it’s intertwined and interlocked,” he says.
“Understanding how planets form is very closely related
to the problem of star formation; the problem of star
formation is very closely related to how clouds of dust
and gas in the Milky Way form and disperse. And I don’t
think you can be curious about one of those questions
without being curious about the others.” – Dan Falk
Roommates Hiba (left) and Richa
The Virtual Search for
the Perfect Roommate
A new U of T service helps students
avoid Codomesticus noxious
Meet Codomesticus noxius, known by its more common
name of the “Bad Roommate.” A parasitic
species, C. noxius invades its host by such transmission
vectors as bulletin-board notices, friends
of friends and Craigslist. Once infection has occurred, C. noxius
quickly metastasizes in the host’s environment, resulting in
outbreaks of dirty dishes, loud music, curious smells, bounced
cheques and passive-aggressive Post-it notes. Irritation, insomnia
and teeth-grinding are common symptoms. The species
particularly thrives on and around university campuses. There
are treatments, but there is no known cure.
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