Unveiling the Universe: Gravitational Waves, Black Holes, and Interstellar

We invite you to join us for an evening with renowned theoretical physicist Kip Thorne.

We sincelerely apologize but we will be unable to livestream this event due to licensing restrictions of video content in the presentation.

However, a recording of the lecture will be available to view a few days after the event concludes.

The lecture will be made accessible here.

100 years ago, Albert Einstein formulated his wildly successful general theory of relativity—a set of physical laws that attribute gravity to the warping of time and space. It has been tested with high precision in the solar system and in binary pulsars and explains the expansion of the universe. It even predicts black holes and gravitational waves. When combined with quantum theory, relativity provides a tentative framework for understanding the universe's big-bang birth. And the equations that made Einstein famous have become embedded in our popular culture via, for example, the science fiction movie Interstellar.

In a captivating talk accessible to science enthusiasts of all ages, Professor Kip Thorne will use Interstellar to illustrate some of relativity’s deepest ideas, including black holes and the recent discovery of gravitational waves.

Professor Thorne of the California Institute of Technology is one of the world’s foremost experts on the astrophysics implications of Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity, including black holes—an expertise he used to great effect as scientific advisor to the movie Interstellar. Thorne was also one of the three principal scientists (with Rainer Weiss and Ron Drever) behind the LIGO experiment that recently detected gravitational waves, an achievement most expect will earn them a Nobel Prize.

Doors Open at 6:00PM
Lecture begins at 7:00pm

This event is organized by Science World, TRIUMF, and the UBC Department of Physics & Astronomy. It is part of UBC’s Centennial Celebration.

For questions, comments, or just to say hi, tweet us at #UTUtalks.

FAQs

Do I need to bring a paper ticket?

No, once you've registered through Eventbrite your name is on the list, so you will just need a piece of ID with your name. To speed things up, bring your e-ticket on your phone or a printed copy of your ticket.

What if I registered but can no longer go?

We're sorry you cannot make it! Please de-register your tickets before the event. We always sell out quickly so this gives others a chance to reserve your tickets and allows us to better anticipate the amount of guests expected.

Will I get a seat if I just show up without registering?

We cannot promise a seat for walk-ins. However, at our previous events, all walk-ins attended the lecture in the OMNIMAX theatre. If you are in the area, feel free to stop by!

Why is it first come, first serve? Why can't we reserve seating?

Science World does not have numbered seating therefore the first to show up will be seated in the OMNIMAX theatre. If we have more guests than can fit in the main theatre, the other guests will be seated in the Science Theatre with a livestream webcast. The speaker will go to the Science Theatre for an in-person Q&A after the talk.

Note: There are no undesirable seats in the OMNIMAX theatre, it is designed to ensure everyone has an excellent view.