DarK Universe Science Center

Our universe is driven by unseen forces. From the earliest moments when—we suspect—all structures were seeded by quantum fluctuations, to the formation and evolution of the cosmic web, to the mysterious accelerated expansion of the Universe today, the evolution of our cosmos has been driven by invisible content. Determining the nature of the dark universe, what, precisely drives the dynamics during these different epochs, is one of the great science questions of our time. 

The University of Washington Dark Universe Science Center brings experts in dark matter, dark energy, inflation, and gravity together with those who study how these invisible ingredients drive the evolution of the Universe along with the stars, black holes, and galaxies within it. By combining observations of the cosmos with direct measurements of the Universe’s invisible content, we hope to fundamentally change our understanding of Nature. 

Pacific Postdoc Program:  We are pleased to announce the Simons Institute is supporting DUSC and sponsoring our Pacific Postdoc Program.  Selected postdocs for each program will spend four weeks with DUSC members and other program attendees to advance the theme of the program.  Our inaugural program, Axions: Theory to Experiment, will occur over October 5 - November 1 2025, and we are accepting applications here until May 30.