Black Holes, Lasers, and Ripples in Spacetime

Talk Overview:
Ten years ago, scientists first detected gravitational waves: ripples in spacetime caused by two black holes colliding. How did they do it? What other sources of gravitational waves have they detected? What are those scientists doing now? This talk will focus on the technologies behind gravitational wave detectors, the first detection (GW150914), and future detector plans. There will be demonstrations!

Biography:
Dr. Georgia Mansell is an assistant professor in physics at Syracuse University. Her research focus is on gravitational wave detector technologies, squeezed light, and optic suspensions. She previously worked at the laser interferometer gravitational wave observatory (LIGO) in Hanford, Washington.

Next TACNY Junior Café Scientifique:
October 18, 2025: Polymer Fun!