The Gas That Built the Universe: How Galaxies Breathe, Grow, and Die.

The story of the Universe is the slow journey of collecting gas and building remarkable structures like stars, planets, and at least one race of beings who dare to ask grand questions. Galaxies are where this story is told. These "island universes" live and die through a cycle of gas flowing in, forming stars, and being blown back out in a type of cosmic breath. Behind our understanding of this cycle is a cast of historical figures who proved that galaxies are far more than a collection of stars. In this talk we will follow the people, and the gas, that built the Universe we see today.

Kye Cook, University of Louisville