Astronomy has relied upon what we can see with electromagnetic radiation—light. But what are we missing that we cannot see? Gravitational radiation gives us an extra sense to use to learn about the cosmos. In 2015 we will begin to listen for gravitational waves, and their detection could reveal the hidden gravitational universe of black holes and neutron stars. In this talk, I introduce gravitational waves, how we hope to detect them, and what we hope to learn from them.

A talk for enthusiastic GCSE/A-level students. 100 years ago Einstein published his general theory of relativity. Now, we are the verge of checking one of its greatest predictions—gravitational waves, tiny ripples in spacetime. Using giant laser beams we hope to measure these waves, and from them learn about some of the most violent phenomena in the Universe, like the collisions of black holes, as well as the very nature of gravity itself!

A light-hearted talk on black holes. Suitable for after dinner, especially after over-indulging when you are worried that you might implode…