Date: January 12, 2018
Time: 1:30-2:30pm
Location: PSB 160/161
Speaker: Clifford Will, Professor of Physics (University of Florida)
Title: Was Einstein Right?
Abstract: Einstein formulated general relativity 100 years ago. Although it is generally considered a great triumph, the theory’s early years were characterized by conceptual confusion, empirical uncertainties and a lack of relevance to ordinary physics. But in recent decades, a remarkably diverse set of precision experiments has established it as the “standard model” for gravitational physics. Yet it might not be the final word. We review a century of measurements that have verified general relativity, and describe some of the opportunities and challenges involved in testing Einstein’s great theory using recently detected gravitational waves.
