黑料吃瓜网

Jia Liu () is a computational and observational cosmologist. She is an associate professor at the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU) at the University of Tokyo and the director of the newly established Center for Data-Driven Discovery (CD3) at Kavli IPMU. Jia received her PhD from Columbia University in 2016 and was an NSF postdoctoral fellow at Princeton (2016–2019) as well as a BCCP postdoctoral fellow at UC Berkeley (2019–2021). Her research focuses on the large-scale structures of our universe—dark matter, halos, filaments, and voids. She aims to elucidate fundamental physics, such as inflation, the nature of dark energy, and neutrino mass, by combining cosmological observations of the cosmic microwave background and galaxies with state-of-the-art numerical simulations.

Assoc. Prof. Jia LIU

Our Universe

1	Subject	Our Universe
2	Field	Astrophysics
3	Key words	Universe; the Big Bang; Dark matter; Dark energy; Galaxies; Stars; Black holes; Planets, Programming; Statistics
4	Global Unit	1
5	Lecturer	Jia LIU
6	Period	June 16 - 20, 2025
7	Time	13:00-14:30, 15:00-16:30 (Japan Standard Time)
8	Lecture style	In-person (on Hongo Campus)
9	Evaluation Criteria	Excellent (S) 90–100％; Very good (A) 80–89％; Good (B) 70–79%; Pass (C) 60–69%; Fail (D) 0–59％
10	Evaluation methods	Attendance/Participation: 30% In-class work: 40% Final Presentation: 30%
11	Prerequisites	1. Curiosity and interest in science! 2. Basic mathematics: algebra and trigonometry; calculus is helpful but not required. 3. Introductory level physics: familiarity with Newton's laws, basic mechanics, and energy concepts. 4. Programming will be taught in the class but prior knowledge is not required. 5. Laptop is required.
12	Contents	Purpose How did the universe begin? What is the universe made of? What is the fate of the universe? What are the fundamental laws of nature? Why do we exist in this universe? This course aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to the universe and its components, exploring topics such as the Big Bang, dark matter, dark energy, galaxies, stars, black holes, and planets. Students will gain an understanding of the methods scientists use to study the cosmos, including scientific measurements, programming, and statistical analysis. Description The course will be conducted fully in person, with an interactive and collaborative learning environment. It will combine lectures, group discussions, in-class work, experiments, and group presentations. Through the week, the course aims to foster curiosity about the universe, develop critical thinking, and equip students with essential skills for scientific research. Schedule Lecture 1: The Big Bang and a Brief History of the Universe Cosmic timeline, cosmic microwave background, redshift, large-scale structures. Form groups of 3-4 students each to work together throughout the course, including the final presentations. Lecture 2: Scientific Measurements Experimental design, data collection methods, and measurement accuracy and precision. Lecture 3: Dark Matter What is dark matter? Evidence from galaxy rotation curves and gravitational lensing. The role of dark matter in galaxy formation and cosmic structure. Lecture 4: Dark Energy Discovery of dark energy and its role in the universe's accelerated expansion. Lecture 5: Scientific Programming Introduction to programming and machine learning. Lecture 6: Stars and Galaxies Stellar formation and lifecycle. Types and structures of galaxies. Lecture 7: Black Holes and Gravitational Waves Formation of black holes, event horizons, accretion disks, and gravitational waves. Lecture 8: Statistics Probability, distributions, and Bayesian statistics. Lecture 9: Planets Formation and classification of planets in our solar system and beyond. Exoplanets and the search for life outside of Earth. Lecture 10: Final Presentations Each group will present a 15-minute presentation on a topic of their interest (including but not limited to the topics covered in the lectures). Assignments In the last lecture, each group will present a 15-minute presentation on a topic of their interest (including but not limited to the topics covered in the lectures).
13	Required readings
14	Reference readings
15	Notes on Taking the Course	-

黑料吃瓜网 Global Unit Courses (GUC)
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黑料吃瓜网, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8652 JAPAN

For inquiries regarding GUC, kindly direct them to the following email address:
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黑料吃瓜网

GUC25S1132C | Our Universe

About the lecturer

Introduction video

Syllabus