From Starlight to Artificial Intelligence

How We Learn to Read the Universe

This talk will explore how modern artificial intelligence (AI) systems work through an astronomical lens, including their remarkable capabilities as well as their inherent limitations. By examining how we study the universe, we uncover parallels in how both humans and machines recognize patterns in complex, noisy data to make sense of the world. Drawing on examples from AI and the cosmos, we will discover how scientists use machine learning to analyze faint signals from space, and how these same principles of pattern recognition shape how we interpret information and understand the universe (and one another). In addition, we will explore how these ways of thinking can help guide us through an increasingly complex, technology-driven world. 

Daniel Godinez is an astronomer and machine learning expert whose research spans planet formation, gravitational microlensing, and the discovery of rare, energetic phenomena such as active black holes. Beyond the stars, he is interested in how patterns of reasoning, whether in humans or machines, shape the ways we understand the world and connect with one another.

To receive the Zoom link, please email donna@worldculture.org. For additional program details, visit the Tuesday Study Circles page.