Episode 72: A Trip to the Optometrist

In case your graduate student insurance doesn’t cover you over the summer, join us now as we take a quick trip to the optometrist! Kiersten checks the prescription of a neural network in finding strong lenses, and compares the results to those found by the original signers of the Declaration of Independence (there were 56, not 55, but Will gets his facts from National Treasure). Will takes us to the bleeding edge of the early Universe to a tiny protocluster lensed by JWST. Alex can’t decide on a final space sound so he chooses a black hole, a giant star, an X-ray transient, a quasar, AND a nova, all wrapped into one.   Astrobites: https://astrobites.org/2023/02/16  https://astrobites.org/2022/12/17    Space sound: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m1QE3lVDi8