New science from Einstein's greatest discovery is the theme of the 2015 Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science
The audience members at a previous Frontiers of Science lecture.
"100 Years After Einstein's Greatest Discovery: New Science from General Relativity" is the theme of the 2015 Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science, a series of six weekly lectures designed as a free minicourse for the general public. The lectures will take place on Saturday mornings from January 24 to February 28 in 100 Thomas Building from 11:00 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. on the Penn State University Park campus.
The lecture speakers are scientists whose research is pushing science beyond Einstein's greatest discovery in order to expand the frontiers of knowledge in areas ranging from time travel to the most mysterious phenomena in the universe.
The first lecture will be given on January 24 by John Norton, professor of physics, director of the Center for Philosophy of Science, and adjunct professor of philosophy at the University of Pittsburgh. His presentation will provide a guided tour looking over Einstein's shoulder as Norton explains the notes that Einstein wrote in his logbook 100 years ago while he was making the greatest discovery of his career. Norton also will reveal how Einstein's theory of general relativity is continuing to profoundly change the way we think about science, geometry, philosophy, and time travel today.
Future lectures in the series include "Sculpting the Universe" by David Weinberg of Ohio State University on January 31, "The Warped Side of the Universe" by Nergis Mavalvala of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on February 7, "Capturing the Birth Cries of Black Holes" by John Nousek of Penn State on February 14, "Using Relativity to Discover Planets by Jason Wright of Penn State on February 21, and "Pushing Science Beyond Einstein by Eugenio Bianchi of Penn State on February 28.
The Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science is a program of the Penn State Eberly College of Science that is designed for the enjoyment and education of residents of the Central Pennsylvania area and beyond. Financial support for the 2015 lectures is provided by the Eberly College of Science and by its Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos. For more information or access assistance, contact the Eberly College of Science Office of Media Relations and Public Information by telephone at 814-863-8453 or by e-mail at jms1140@psu.edu. More information about the Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science, including archived recordings of previous lectures, is online at science.psu.edu/frontiers.