Physicists Scott Dodelson and Stacy McGaugh explored this topic during a virtual discussion on Monday, April 7, 2025.
Professor Dodelson defends the standard cosmological model, according to which the laws of general relativity taken together with dark matter can adequately account for the evolution of the universe up to the present.
Professor McGaugh, by contrast, argues that evidence supports the need to modify our understanding of how matter behaves under the influence of gravity, without invoking any need for the existence of dark matter.
Each speaker delivered a 20-minute opening presentation followed by a response round and audience Q&A. This event was moderated by NEIU Associate Professor of Physics Orin Harris.
This event was sponsored by the Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU) Department of Physics, the NEIU Libraries, and the NEIU Heterodox Academy Campus Community.
Speaker biographies:
Scott Dodelson is a Fermilab scientist and professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. His primary research interest is in analyzing data from cosmic surveys to inform our understanding of dark matter/dark energy neutrinos, primarily within standard cosmological model.
Stacy McGaugh is a professor in the Department of Astronomy at Case Western Reserve University. His primary research interest is the study of low-surface-brightness galaxies, which connects more broadly to his work in using astronomical and cosmological data to test the predictions of dark matter versus modified Newtonian dynamics.
Moderator biography:
Orin Harris did his PhD work on the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider before switching fields, in 2013, to using bubble chambers to search for dark matter. He is a member of the PICO and SBC collaborations, and he’s an Associate Professor of Physics at NEIU.
Students: Are you struggling to get artificial intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT to actually help with your assignments? Curious about how AI fits into your studies and what it can’t do? Join NEIU Libraries for a workshop:
Using GenAI Effectively – Creating Prompts
Tuesday, April 29
3 p.m.
Main Campus, Ronald Williams Library, 3rd floor classroom
Why you should attend
In just one hour, you’ll learn how to:
This isn’t just theory. We’ll do hands-on practice, compare real prompts and show how small tweaks can lead to better output.
AI is already a part of school, work and life. Knowing how to use it well gives you an edge. Plus, we’ll show you how to avoid academic pitfalls and make AI work for you, not against you.
Can’t make the workshop? Check out our Student Guide to ChatGPT and other AI Resources.
Contact Robin Harris at r-harris14@neiu.edu or Lisa Wallis at l-wallis@neiu.edu with any questions.