Press Resources: Science Writers' Workshop Archive

Contents

The Space Telescope Science Institute offers occasional workshops that give writers the opportunity to learn about recent science topics. The most popular workshop takes place in the spring, during a symposium in which scientists from around the world speak on a chosen topic. Information and videos from previous workshops may be viewed below.


June 8, 2011

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FRONTIER SCIENCE OPPORTUNTIES WITH JWST

Speakers for this event were:

  • Richard Ellis
    (California Institute of Technology)
    "Observing the Early Universe"
  • Shri Kulkarni
    (California Institute of Technology)
    "Transient Events"
  • Alice Shapley
    (University of California, Los Angeles)
    "The Early Evolution of the Interstellar Medium"
  • Mario Livio
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "JWST: Planets to Cosmology"

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May 5, 2011

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Dark Matter

Speakers for this event were:

  • Megan Donahue
    (Michigan State University)
    "Constraints on Dark Matter from X-ray Observations"
  • Risa Wechsler
    (Stanford University)
    "Dark Matter Properties and Galaxy Properties"
  • Juan Collar
    (University of Chicago)
    "The Latest Results from CoGeNT and COUPP"
  • Albert de Roeck
    (CERN)
    "Results and Expectations from the Large Hadron Collider"
  • Mario Livio
    (STScI)
    "Putting Astrophysics and Particle Physics Together"

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May 7, 2009

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Looking for Life Beyond Earth

Speakers for this event were:

  • Ray Villard
    (STScI)
    Welcome and Introductions
  • Pascale Ehrenfreund
    (Leiden University)
    "The Seeds of Life — Exogenous Delivery of Organics to Earth"
  • Jane Greaves
    (University of St. Andrews)
    "Terrestrial Planet Bombardment and Habitability"
  • Sara Seager
    (MIT)
    "Exoplanet Atmospheres and Interiors: Implications for Life Detection"
  • Mario Livio
    (STScI)
    "The Quest for Life on New Worlds"
  • Steve Benner
    (Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution/FfAME)
    "Life As We Don't Know It"
  • Wes Traub
    (JPL)
    "Advantages and Strategies for Direct Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanets"

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May 8, 2008

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A Decade of Dark Energy

Speakers for this event were:

  • Ray Villard
    (STScI)
    Welcome and Introductions
  • Adam Riess
    (STScI)
    "New Results on the Hubble Constant"
  • Saul Perlmutter
    (Univ. of California, Lawrence Berkeley Lab)
    "The Latest Results on Dark Energy from Supernovae"
  • Licia Verde
    (ICREA/ICE/IEEC-CSIC)
    "How Can CMB Help Constrain Dark Energy?"
  • Daniel Eisenstein
    (Univ. of Arizona, Steward Observatory)
    "Baryon Acoustic Oscillations"
  • Mario Livio
    (STScI)
    "Dark Energy: Hopes and Expectations"
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November 15, 2007

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Astrophysics 2020: Large Space Missions Beyond the Next Decade

Speakers for this event were:

  • Wes Traub
    (Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
    "Exoplanet Science with Ares-V Enabled Telescopes"
  • Harvey Tananbaum
    (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
    "The Next Large X-ray Mission: Constellation-X"
  • Rachel Somerville
    (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy)
    "Cracking the Mystery of Galaxy and Black Hole Formation: A Theorist's Wish-List for the Next Generation of Space Telescope"

  • Marc Postman
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "Future Giant Telescopes: Evolution in Ground-Space Synergy"


  • Mario Livio
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "The Big Questions in 2020?"
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September 18, 2007

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(RealPlayer) Welcome & Introductions Dr. Saul Perlmutter Dr. Adam Riess Prof. Steve Weinberg Dr. Mario Livio Open Discussion

Dark Energy: A Decade of Discovery and Mystery

Speakers for this event were:

  • Dr. Saul Perlmutter
    (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
    "The State of the Dark Energy 10 Years In - And Observationalist Optimism"
  • Prof. Steve Weinberg
    (University of Texas at Austin)
    "Why Physicists Worry about Dark Energy"
  • Dr. Adam Riess
    (Johns Hopkins University and STScI)
    "Seeing Dark Energy"
  • Dr. Mario Livio
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "Dark Energy: An Overview"
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April 25, 2007

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Black Holes

Speakers for this event were:

  • Gary Horowitz
    (University of California, Santa Barbara)
    "Black Holes, Entropy and Information"
  • Joan Centrella
    (Gravitational Astrophysics Laboratory, Goddard Space Flight Center)
    "Gravitational Waves from Black Hole Mergers"
  • Andy Fabian
    (Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK)
    "Spins of Supermassive Black Holes"
  • Ramesh Narayan
    (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics)
    "Black Hole Event Horizon"
  • Mario Livio
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "Shedding Light on Black Holes"
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November 30, 2006

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Astrophysics Enabled by the Return to the Moon

Speakers for this event were:

  • Jacqueline Hewitt
    (MIT/Kavli Institute for Astrophysics)
    "High-z Radio Universe Observations"
  • Roger Angel
    (University of Arizona/Steward Observatory)
    "What Can the Return to the Moon Offer?"
  • Webster Cash
    (University of Colorado/CASA)
    "Observations of Extrasolar Planets"
  • Mario Livio
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "What Are We Trying to Achieve?"
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May 11, 2006

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Life Cycle of High-Mass Stars: Focus of 2006 May Symposium in Baltimore

Speakers for this event were:

  • Volker Bromm
    (Univ. of Texas)
    "Formation of Population III Stars"
  • Ian Bonnell
    (Univ. of St. Andrews, UK)
    "Theories of Massive Star Formation"
  • Barbara Whitney
    (Space Science Inst.)
    "Observations of Massive Star Formation"
  • Niel Gehrels
    (NASA/GSFC)
    "The Nature of Short Gamma-Ray Bursts"
  • Andy Fruchter
    (STScI)
    "The Nature of Long Gamma-Ray Bursts"
  • Mario Livio
    (STScI)
    "Massive Stars: Remaining Open Questions"
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May 5, 2005

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A Decade of Discovery — Planets Around Other Stars: STScI'S May 2005 Symposium and Science Writers' Workshop

Speakers for this event were:

  • Michel Mayor
    (Geneva Observatory)
    "Statistics of Extrasolar Planets"
  • Lynne Hillenbrand
    (Caltech)
    "The Lifetime of Dust Disks"
  • Jaymie Mattthews
    (University of British Columbia)
    "Results from MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations in Stars) Satellite"
  • Tim Brown
    (High Altitude Observatory)
    "Extrasolar Planet Atmospheres"
  • Mario Livio
    (STScI)
    "The Quest for New Worlds"
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September 23, 2004

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Reporting the Early Science Findings from the Hubble Ultra Deep Field

Speakers for this event were:

  • Dr. Andrew Bunker
    (Institute of Astrophysics, University of Cambridge, UK)
  • Dr. Massimo Stiavelli
    (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD)
  • Dr. Haojing Yan
    (Spitzer Space Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA)
  • Dr. Garth Illingworth
    (University of California, Santa Cruz, CA)
  • Dr. James Rhoads
    (Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD)
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May 5, 2004

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"Planets to Cosmology: Essential Science in Hubble's Final Years"

Speakers for this event were:

  • Jay Gallagher
    "Starburst Galaxies"
  • Zoltan Haiman
    "The Reionization of the Universe"
  • Dr. Mario Livio
    "Planets to Cosmology (Summary)"
  • Laura Ferrarese
    "Supermassive Black Holes"
  • John Tonry
    "Dark Energy"
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March 9, 2004

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"Hubble Ultra Deep Field"

Speakers for this event were:

  • Steve Beckwith
  • Massimo Stiavelli
  • Rodger Thompson
  • Mauro Giavalisco
  • Sangeeta Malhotra
  • Shardha Jongee
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May 2003

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"The Local Group as an Astrophysical Laboratory"

Speakers for this event were:

  • Dr. Tom Brown
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "Populations in M31"
  • Dr. Rosie Wyse
    (Johns Hopkins University)
    "Structure of the Milky Way"
  • Dr. Andrea Ghez
    (University of California, Los Angeles)
    "The Center of Our Galaxy"
  • Dr. Puragra "Raja" Guhathakurta
    (Univ. of California/Lick Observatory)
    "Halo and Companions of M31"
  • Dr. Mary Putman
    (University of Colorado/CASA)
    "The Magellanic Stream and High Velocity Clouds"
  • Dr. Mario Livio
    (Space Telescope Science Institute)
    "The Local Group: The Universe in a Nutshell"
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May 2002

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'There's no place like home.' 'Home sweet home.' 'Our home planet.' But could "home" be anywhere other than on Earth?

Speakers for this event were:

  • Dr. Chris Chyba
    (SETI Institute)
    "Solar System"
  • Dr. Charles Beichman
    (JPL)
    "Detection from Space Missions"
  • Dr. Jill Tarter
    (SETI Institute)
    "SETI"
  • Dr. Mario Livio
    (STScI)
    "Anthropics"
  • Dr. George Cody
    (Carnegie Institute of Washington)
    "Geochemical Constraints on the Origin of Life"
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