Lecture by Prof. Dr Mario Jurić: A Decade of Paradigm Shifts in Astronomy: the ‘Legacy Survey of Space and Time’ and Artificial Intelligence

Kindly invited to attend the public lecture by Prof. Dr. Mario Jurić titled "A decade of paradigm shifts in astronomy: the Legacy Survey of Space and Time and AI", which will take place on Monday, 31st August 2026 at 18:00, at the Kavarna EPIC in Nova Gorica.

Organiser: University of Nova Gorica, Faculty of Natural Sciences

Lecturer: Prof. Dr Mario Jurić (University of Washington, USA)

The lecture will be in English.

Abstract:
Astronomy is entering a decade of extraordinary change, driven by two simultaneous transformations.The first is the Vera C. Rubin Observatory and its Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). Using an 8.4-meter telescope and the world's largest astronomical camera, Rubin will repeatedly image much of the visible sky, creating an unprecedented "download" of the Universe. Its discoveries will span nearly every area of astronomy, from killer asteroids and exploding stars to dark matter and dark energy.The second is artificial intelligence (AI). AI already enables astronomers to analyze enormous datasets and automate tasks that once required human judgment. Increasingly capable AI systems are also changing how scientists write software, develop algorithms, and conduct research itself; what it means to "do science" is changing dramatically.This talk will present the first results from Rubin and expectations for the coming decade -- all while asking what the role of the human scientist may become as machines increasingly drive discovery.