Speaker: Dr Marco Bruni
Location: Havant College, Havant.
Abstract: In this talk I will introduce the fundamental ideas that are at the base of Einstein theory of General Relativity, the modern gravity theory that replaces Newtonian gravitation. I will illustrate how space and time, once separated, are unified into a new concept, that of spacetime, and how “matter tells space how to curve” and how “space tell matter how to move”. Given the importance of the recent first detection of gravitational waves, in September 2015, emitted by the merging of two black holes, I will briefly explain how black holes are formed when a giant star dies, and how two black holes orbiting each other can merge into one. Illustrating the effects of gravitational waves on matter, I will illustrate how they can be detected, on Earth and in space.