Events

Intuition and Algorithms in Observational Astronomy

In this talk, I will use the history of gravitational lensing in observational astronomy to
explore the role of human intuition in an age of algorithmic inference. Between the late
1970s, when the first gravitational lens was observed, and the 2010s, astronomers
discovered only a few hundred strong lenses. To find these sources, scientists relied on
visual intuition. With a vast amount of sky survey data, fast visual analysis (just a few
seconds per image!) was a key aspect in the data-processing pipeline. In a glance, the
trained astronomer could spot a lens while combing through a survey. This is changing.
The launch of Euclid in 2023 marked the onset of a project that forecasted it would find
over 100,000 lenses in its 6-year mission. The oncoming deluge will overwhelm even
the quick glance, and recent work has focused on developing and deploying algorithms
that can automate the search. Yet, this has not spelled the end for the intuitive eye.
Moving from the 1970s to the present, I will trace how astronomers cultivated a specific
form of visual intuition, the well-trained glance, and how this skill has become even
more important within the infrastructure of automated data processing. Recognizing the
persistence of intuition, I contend, raises new questions about how we integrate
algorithms into scientific practice.

Monday, October 26, 2026 9:30 AM

Inperson
Speaker will be in person – BHI Conference Room

Virtual
Zoom