TALK ABSTRACT:
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GALEX, the Galaxy Evolution Explorer, is a NASA satellite mission 
devoted to understanding the cosmic star-formation history.
The GALEX science team is attacking this question through an ultraviolet
all-sky imaging survey and several complementary deeper imaging
and spectroscopic surveys. Although the primary mission is only
about halfway completed, GALEX has already made several exciting
discoveries about the nature and locations of star-formation.
I will report on the design and status of the mission, give 
some background on how and why the ultraviolet is such an 
important part of the spectrum for such studies, and
describe some of the recent GALEX scientific results.