Dr Katherine (Katie) Mack is a theoretical astrophysicist working on a range of questions in cosmology, the study of the universe from beginning to end. She currently holds the position of Assistant Professor of Physics at North Carolina State University, where she is also a member of the Leadership in Public Science Cluster. Throughout her career she has researched dark matter, the early universe, galaxy formation, black holes, cosmic strings, and the ultimate fate of the cosmos. Alongside her academic work, she is an active science communicator and writer. Her book about our cosmic fate is called “The End of Everything.” You can find her on Twitter as @AstroKatie.

Talk: The Death of the Cosmos

The Big Bang theory tells the story of the beginning of the Universe, our cosmic home for the last 13.8 billion years. But what is the story of its end? I’ll share what modern astrophysics tells us about the ultimate fate of the cosmos, and what each possibility would entail if there were people there to see it.