Daily News

Posted on Jan. 22: Origins Lecture in pursuit of new solar systems

While the search for planets outside our Solar System has had a long and dismal history, theoretical astrophysicist Alan Boss is on a mission to change that -- and fast. Boss is on a race to find new solar systems and will explain how at the fourth Origins Lecture tonight. Boss, a research staff member at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism in Washington, DC., will present "The Race to Find New Solar Systems", Thursday, Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. in Chester New Hall, Rm. 104. As one of the world's leading authorities and lecturers on planet formation, Boss will discuss the search for planets outside our Solar System. To date, he says, more than 100 planets have been found outside our Solar System, ranging from the fairly familiar to the weirdly unexpected. All of the new planets discovered appear to be gas giant planets, similar to our Jupiter and Saturn. The next challenge is to find ice giant planets, similar to Uranus and Neptune, and eventually to find evidence of Earth-like planets, capable of supporting life. NASA has designed an array of ground and space-based telescopes that will carry out this incredible search in the next two decades.

Posted on Jan. 21: Year of the Monkey celebrated at Chinese New Year exhibit

The McMaster University Chinese Students' Association (CSA) held its second annual Chinese New Year exhibition in the McMaster University Student Centre Wednesday. Last year's exhibition was a great success and allowed the McMaster community to get a taste of Chinese culture while celebrating the Chinese New Year. This year marks McMaster CSA's 37th year of serving the McMaster Chinese community as well as promoting the Chinese culture to students, faculty and staff across campus. For the Year of the Monkey, CSA once again presented an exhibition to the McMaster community, showcasing some traditional Chinese New Year food, games and martial arts performances as well as the colourful lion dance. This year's guests of honour included McMaster University President Peter George and professor Luke Chan, associate vice president, Office of International Affairs. They performed the traditional eye dotting ceremony to awaken the spirits of the lions before the start of the lion dance. The McMaster CSA is a non-profit organization that acts as a medium to promoting and conserving the Chinese culture in Canadian society. McMaster CSA was established in 1967. It now has more than 500 active members with one of the larger club memberships on campus.