Professor Brian Fields Presents “When Stars Attack!”

We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Brian David Fields of the University of Illinois.

Professor Fields will present “When Stars Attack! Unveiling Cosmic Explosions Near Earth with Radioactive Sea Sludge”

Supernova explosions mark the spectacular deaths of massive stars. They also play an extraordinary role in our universe—creating many of the elements essential for planets and life, producing tremendous amounts of high-energy radiation, and helping shape galaxies.

But what happens when one occurs a little too close to home?

Professor Fields will take us into the fascinating—and somewhat unsettling—evidence that Earth has experienced cosmic “near misses.” Evidence now points to nearby supernova explosions approximately 3 million and 7 million years ago, whose radioactive debris actually rained down upon our planet.

Even more remarkable is where scientists have found some of that evidence: in geological deposits, including literal sea sludge.

These radioactive atoms allow scientists to study the ashes of ancient stellar explosions here on Earth and provide compelling evidence that nearby supernovae are a fact of life in our Galaxy.

Professor Fields will also explore the recent detection of extraterrestrial plutonium, a discovery that presents another intriguing mystery. Could it point toward an even more exotic nearby cosmic catastrophe—a neutron-star merger?

This promises to be a fascinating journey connecting exploding stars, nuclear physics, geology, and the history of our own planet.

About Professor Fields

Brian Fields is Professor of Astronomy and an affiliate Professor of Physics at the University of Illinois. His research explores what he describes as the “inner space/outer space” connections linking science at its smallest and largest scales.

His interests include some of nature’s highest-energy environments: the Big Bang, exploding stars and supernovae, and the high-energy particles traveling through space that we know as cosmic rays.

Perhaps most fascinating is his exploration of how our own human story is ultimately connected to cosmic events—events that may pass largely unnoticed on Earth but nevertheless have played a role in shaping our planet and the conditions for life upon it.Professor Fields will join us virtually at 3:00 PM,