Near-Far Connections: The Milky Way and its Local Environment as a Laboratory

Explore the connections between the Milky Way and its local environment in this 36-minute conference talk by Keith Hawkins from the University of Texas. Delivered as part of the "Cosmic Dawn Revealed by JWST" conference at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, delve into how our galaxy serves as a laboratory for understanding cosmic dawn. Examine the latest discoveries from JWST and their implications for our understanding of the first stars, galaxies, and black holes. Investigate the nature of stellar populations in early galaxies, their star formation and chemical enrichment histories, and the key physical processes shaping their evolution. Connect insights from near-field and deep field observations to gain a comprehensive view of the early universe and its development.