Arthur H. Compton Lecture Series - What to Do When Gravity Waves?

The purpose of these lectures is to make accessible some of the remarkable recent developments in physical science to the non-specialized public, and to share with laymen some of the intellectual and cultural excitement associated with scientific developments that may affect in some way the lives of all of us and are a significant part of our cultural heritage. The lectures often, but not exclusively, are focused on areas of research being pursued at the Enrico Fermi Institute. This year the lectures will focus on Gravitational Waves which are a completely new way of observing our universe and have already revolutionized our understanding of multiple types of astrophysical phenomena in the four short years since they were first directly detected. In this lecture series, we’ll review the basics of General Relativity, the modern theory of gravity, how we detect Gravitational Waves on Earth, and investigate what they can tell us about our universe. The lectures take place on Saturdays at 11:00 am in Room 106 of the Kersten Physics Teaching Center (5720 S. Ellis Ave.). There is one lecture left in the series. If you are interested in science, especially physics, you may like these lectures.