October 14, 2005 Source: University of Toronto:
http://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/051014-1695.asp Free lecture: was Einstein right? Part of 100th anniversary of 'miracle year' in physics
Oct 14/05
by Sean Bettam Physicist Clifford Will of Washington University will discuss how the most celebrated scientific theory of the 20th century has held up under the exacting scrutiny of planetary probes, radio telescopes and atomic clocks during a free lecture on Wed. Oct. 19 at the University of Toronto. Professor Will’s talk, titled Was Einstein Right?, will relate the stories of testing relativity over the past century – from the 1919 measurements of the bending of light to 1980s measurements of a decaying double-neutron-star system to reveal the action of gravity waves, to a 2004 space experiment to test whether spacetime "does the twist". In the process, he explores how a revolution in astronomy and technology has led to a renaissance of the theory of general relativity and the important role relativity plays in daily life. Will is the James S. McDonnell Professor of Physics, and member of the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. He has published over 160 scientific articles or abstracts, and his books include Theory and Experiment in Gravitational Physics and Was Einstein Right? He is available for interviews with interested media. A performance before the lecture by The Borealis String Quartet will include "Water to Ice", a composition by Aaron Hryciw, a graduate student of physics at the University of Alberta, which was specially commissioned to recognize 2005 as the World Year of Physics. This free lecture and mini-concert are part of the 100th anniversary celebration of Einstein’s "miracle year" and is presented by U of T’s Department of Physics and the Faculty of Arts and Science, in cooperation with the Perimeter Institute. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. in room 161/2, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 252 Bloor St. West, just east of the St. George subway stop. Visit www.physics.utoronto.ca or call 416-978-7135 for more information. For more info, contact: Sean Bettam, Faculty of Arts and Science, 416-946-7950, sbettam@artsci.utoronto.ca
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