COLLOQUIUM: Seeing the Big Bang More Clearly: The Evolution of Observational Techniques in CMB Studies

Since 2015 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), I will begin by analyzing the very early experiments that established the properties of the CMB.  What experimental problems did we face, and how did we overcome them?  As CMB measurements grew more sensitive, new sources of systematic error and new foregrounds emerged.  I'll describe the techniques CMB observers have evolved over the years to cope with them.