Star Talk with Shane Larson: Wormholes, Spacewarps & Tunnels to Otherwheres

Shane Larson, professor of Physics at at Clarkson University, returns to Carlton Observatory to deliver our latest Star Talk! There will be a small reception at 6:30PM, and the talk begins at 7:00PM in the Evergreen Theater.

Dessert and soft beverages are included in the ticket price, and wine will be available to purchase for guests 21 and older (with ID). Tickets are $10 (plus a small processing fee), and FREE for 16 & under.

Star Talk: Wormholes, Spacewarps, and Tunnels to Otherwheres

The advent of general relativity transformed our understanding of gravity and introduced us to the idea that the underlying fabric of the Universe is a tapestry we call "spacetime." That fabric is a dynamic entity, constantly evolving and changing. It can be bent, twisted, warped, and perhaps ripped.

In the hundred years that we have been aware of spacetime, our understanding of it have been informed by astronomical observations, detailed mathematical calculations, vast computer simulations, and wild speculation. Some ideas and predictions, though exotic, have been found to be wholly true; others we are skeptical of, but cannot disprove; of others we still have no idea what to think.

In this talk, we'll discuss the nature of spacetime and our measurements of it, and examine some of the most remarkable predictions we have made about it: black holes, gravitational waves, cosmological expansion, wormholes, and time warps.

Bio

Shane Larson is a professor of Physics at at Clarkson University and the Director of Integrated Engineering and Applied Science Projects in the Coulter School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

He works in the field of gravitational wave astrophysics, specializing in studies of compact stars, binaries, and the galaxy with both the ground-based LIGO project, and the forthcoming space-based observatory LISA. He grew up in Eastern Oregon. He received his BS in physics from Oregon State, and his MS and PhD from Montana State. His postdoctoral work was at JPL, Caltech, and at the Physics Frontier Center at Penn State. He is an award winning teacher, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society.

He contributes regularly to a public science blog at writescience.wordpress.com, and posts at Bluesky with the handle @sciencejedi.

Also check out other Arts events in McMinnville, Theatre events in McMinnville.