Dr. Gabor Kunstatter Colloquium

Fri. Nov. 13 12:30 PM - Fri. Nov. 13 01:20 PM
Contact: Andrea Wiebe
Location: via Zoom

Dr. Gabor Kunstatter, Professor Emeritus, University of Winnipeg

 

A Look at the 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics: How Blackholes Benefit Humankind

The 2020 Nobel Prize in Physics was split between two distinct but closely related achievements in general relativity (GR). The first was a theoretical proof  by Roger Penrose in 1965  that GR predicts black hole formation, and hence its own demise, under fairly general initial conditions. The second was the observation by Reinhard Genzel and by Andrea Ghez of the motion of stars near the center of our galaxy showing that they were orbiting a very large, compact central object (likely a black hole). After a brief general introduction to GR and black holes, I will present qualitative descriptions of both achievements. I will then highlight the implications of these discoveries for physics as well as their benefits for society.

 

Missed this colloquium? No Problem! It can be watched here: https://uwcloud.uwinnipeg.ca/s/g9RdS6LxXC2Bxyz