Beauty in simplicity: UCLA’s Tommaso Treu finds peace in understanding the universe

Since the dawn of time, humans have looked toward the stars with fascination. Throughout history, they have turned to the solar system for vital information, such as navigation, or with a deep curiosity - as with the recent Artemis II mission around the moon.

The universe is a wondrous, seemingly infinite space, yet so distinctly different from Earth that humans have wondered for centuries what it is made of. Tommaso Treu, a professor of physics and astronomy and vice chair of the UCLA Division of Astronomy and Astrophysics, will tackle that question when he gives the 140th Faculty Research Lecture on Friday, April 24, at Schoenberg Hall.

While the question may sound impossible to answer, Treu assures us it is not.

"When I talk to students - especially non-science majors - about these topics, some of them find it very scary and difficult. And my goal is to try to make them overcome the fear and see that actually, it's not. It's, in principle, comprehensible," Treu said. "I think Einstein said at some point that the most surprising thing about the universe is, perhaps, that it can be understood."

In his upcoming lecture, Treu will explore "What is the universe made of?" and how, as this question evolved, it led to advances in science, like the understanding of atoms. It's also led to the discoveries of dark matter and dark energy, which we have never detected on Earth.

He told UCLA Newsroom how he's preparing to break it all down.

How did you feel when you were chosen for the Faculty Research Lecture?

I had no idea that this was happening. So, the first thing was - surprise.

When you had a minute to think about it, what went through your mind?

'How am I going to do it? How can I give a good lecture?'

There will be attendees from across disciplines. How does that change your approach?

I love to teach non-science majors. But, of course, it's always a challenge to make what I do accessible to others, because many people are scared or intimidated or lost. [Having been in this field for 30 years], you have to step out of it and think, 'OK, somebody has never heard this before. How can I communicate it to them?' So that's the challenge there. And how do I make it interesting as well?

Where do you start with your lecture?

I start with some very existential reflections, because I often wonder, why do we do what we do? Why do I do what I do? What good is it to humanity to pursue these kinds of questions? … And I think there is a reason. I think there's more than one, actually, and I think they are very profound.

I always say that asking questions is one of the fundamental features of human beings. And I think, also … the quest for truth, if you want to say this with a small 't,' is a foundation of our society.

And then part of the other part is the question itself: What is the universe made of? - which is something that everyone, every culture, has always asked. This question is as old as written records, at least; it is something we want to know as human beings.

And the answer to that is surprising because the universe is made of something we don't see, we cannot interact with and we have never seen on Earth. So, in the end, there are a lot of surprises.

When you were younger, what fascinated you and led you to study this as your profession?

I've always had a fascination for these kinds of things. And also, I've always been attracted to things that seem very unusual. One of the things I love about physics and cosmology is that they usually defy your experience. The universe does not behave as you experience it in everyday life, and so it forces you to stretch your imagination in a way that no other things do. And I always found that particularly engaging.

There's also the fact that I think there's a beauty in the simplicity of all of this. Once, I asked my son what his favorite subject in school is. He's 9, and he said something that really resonated with me. He said, 'math.' And I asked why? He said, 'It's so relaxing.' And I feel the same way. There's always the fact that the physical universe, in principle, is understandable, and that makes me feel very at peace, as opposed to human events, which [sometimes] seem not to be understandable, not predictable, not relatable. We find it very hard to comprehend them, while the universe offers us hope that it is understandable.

What are you hoping people will take away from your lecture?

I would like to communicate a few things. First, that the universe is amazing, really beautiful and fascinating and surprising and a sort of source of inspiration and intellectual stimulation. And then that we've made amazing discoveries -the money that we've invested in the science and the intellect that we invest in science has paid off handsomely. We know much more than we used to know.

And then the other thing I want people to appreciate is that it's not like a secret society. Everyone can and should understand this to some level. In principle, this would be something that everyone should be able to appreciate, kind of like we all appreciate a work of art.

And then, [I also want people to understand] that fundamental science is useful and it's worth supporting.

Register for Treu's lecture.