Dr Francisco Diego
From its very simple and still mysterious origin, in this lecture we see how the Universe has been developing the complexity and diversity around us today. We follow the cosmic timeline and explore a metaphorical cosmic forest where vast numbers of trees of diversity accidentally grow and vanish. We face the relevant insignificance of the human existence, that has only started as a tiny twig on one of those trees. Remembering Carl Sagan, we meet our destiny, where we must learn to be kind to one another and preserve this fragile paradise that we call home. NOTE: Think Universe! is an educational project to bring big science to elementary classrooms. The project has support from the STFC for its essential phase of teacher training.
Dr Francisco Diego was born in Mexico City, where he got his first degree in Mechanical Engineering. His career in Astronomy started at the Sociedad Astronomica de Mexico and the Planetario Luis E. Erro. He worked for several years at the Instituto de Astroromia, UNAM and then came to University College London where he got a PhD in Astronomy. Currently he is a Senior Teaching Fellow at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCL, vice president of the UK Association for Astronomy Education and a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. He is a keen populariser of natural sciences and extensive experience as a planetarium producer/presenter, lecturer, author and broadcaster.
Francisco has appeared on TV series like Stephen Hawking’s Universe, BBC’s The Planets and more recently, the worldwide version of BBC’s Wonders of the Universe, The Seven Ages of Starlight and The Secret Life of the Sun. He is a regular contributor to BBC News and Aljazeera News channels. Veteran of 20 solar eclipse expeditions. Founder and director of Your Universe, the UCL festival of Astronomy. Producing and delivering The Mind of the Universe, a collection of public and school lectures and teacher workshops on astrophysics, cosmology and life in the Universe. His most recent educational project is called Think Universe!, a novel and ambitious idea to bring fundamental science to the primary and secondary classroom with initial support from the Royal Society.
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