A Celebration of Light, Gravity, and Einstein
Wednesday, March 25, 2015, 6:00 pm
Georgia Tech’s Historic Academy of Medicine
Doors open for welcome reception at 5:30 pm
The year 2015 is being celebrated around the world as both the centennial of Albert Einstein’s creation of the General Theory of Relativity and the International Year of Light.
As part of the 2015 Atlanta Science Festival, the Atlanta Science Tavern and the Georgia Tech Center for Relativistic Astrophysics have partnered to create a celebration to mark this important anniversary at the historic Academy of Medicinein Midtown Atlanta the evening of Wednesday, March 25.
Using a documentary film and two short lectures, the program will take a look back at how our current understanding of light has emerged over the last 1,000 years and a look forward at how an ingenious “gravity telescope” may soon provide us with a completely new way to observe the Universe and understand its most violent and energetic phenomena.
The evening will conclude with an extended questionÂandÂanswer session that will give you the opportunity to ask experts those questions about light, gravity, and relativity that you've always wanted to ask.
This event is a coÂproduction of the Atlanta Science Tavernand Georgia Tech's School of Physics and Center for Relativistic Astrophysicsand is made possible in part by the generous sponsorship of OFSof Norcross, Georgia, a manufacturer of telecommunications and specialty optical fiber products.
Presenters
Host
Deirdre Shoemaker, Associate Professor and Director, Georgia Tech Center for Relativistic Astrophysics
Deirdre Shoemaker’s work focuses on numerical relativity and its interface with gravitational wave astronomy. She is a fellow of the American Physical Society, and, in 2013, she was elected to the ChairÂline of the APS Topical Group on Gravity.
Listening to the Universe: Einstein’s Gravitational Waves
Laura Cadonati, Associate Professor, Georgia Tech Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Laura Cadonatiis an expert in gravitational waves and particle physics with her primary research involving the detection and interpretation of gravitational waves from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO).
Celebrating Light 2015: A Millennium of Science and Art
Sidney Perkowitz, Candler Professor of Physics Emeritus, Emory University
As a professor of physics at Emory University, Sidney Perkowitzwrote over 100 research papers and books. He covers popular science, especially the science of light, through books and articles, lectures and media appearances. His popular books include Empire of Light, Universal Foam, Hollywood Science, and Slow Light.
Film
LIGO, A Passion for Understanding(2014)
directed by Kai Staats
runtime: 20 minutes
Inspired by the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) Scientific Collaboration, LIGO, A Passion for Understandingcelebrates the dedication of those who have worked for nearly three decades on a single science experiment, one designed to prove the last piece of Einstein’s theory of general relativity.
Producers and sponsor
The Georgia Tech Center for Relativistic Astrophysics
The Georgia Tech Center for Relativistic Astrophysics (CRA) is devoted to interdisciplinary research and education linking astrophysics, astroparticle physics, numerical relativity and gravitational wave physics. CRA research focuses on extreme astrophysics such as mergers of black holes and neutron stars, central engines of active galactic nuclei, gamma ray bursts, and sources of the high energy cosmic rays and neutrinos. (CRA home page)
The Atlanta Science Tavern
The Atlanta Science Tavern (AST) is a grassroots, public science forum organized on Meetup.com with over 4,600 members. They produce two or three scienceÂrelated events each month, many of which feature a research scientist, a public health professional, or a science writer speaking to a general audience of lay science enthusiasts. The Science Tavern also collaborates to extend the science outreach of other organizations in the Atlanta area. (AST home page)
OFS
OFS, headquartered in Norcross, Georgia, is a worldÂleading designer, manufacturer and provider of optical fiber, fiber optic cable, connectivity, fiberÂtoÂtheÂsubscriber and specialty photonics products. They provide reliable, costÂeffective solutions for a broad range of applications including telecommunications, medicine, industrial automation, sensing, government, aerospace and defense. These products help customers meet the needs of consumers and businesses, both today and into the future. (OFS home page)
Contact: Marc Merlin
marc@atlantasciencetavern.com
404.492.6112
Interviews can be arranged by request.
