Public Astronomy Lecture at Stanford/KIPAC

Have you ever wondered how scientists can detect something happening over a billion light-years away — something so tiny it seems impossible to measure? 🌌

Join us for a fascinating public lecture at Stanford, “Measuring the Impossible: How We Detected Gravitational Waves,” presented by Dr. Alexandra Mitchell, an experimental physicist at Stanford who works on the incredibly sensitive instruments used by LIGO to detect gravitational waves.
More than a century ago, Einstein predicted that massive events in the universe, such as two black holes colliding, would create ripples in the fabric of space and time. For decades, detecting these waves seemed impossible. But scientists eventually found a way!
In this lecture, we'll explore some extraordinary questions:
✨ What happens when two black holes collide?
✨ What exactly are gravitational waves, and how do they travel across the universe?
✨ How can scientists measure changes smaller than the width of a human hair across enormous distances?
✨ What has LIGO already discovered about our universe?
✨ And what new cosmic mysteries might we uncover next?

Whether you're passionate about astronomy or simply curious about the universe, this talk promises an accessible and inspiring journey through some of the newest discoveries in planetary science.
I won't be in town until the end of the month, so this time you'll have to explore the universe without me. 😉 But that's no reason to stay home! Stretch your brain a little, discover something fascinating, and who knows—you might just find your next favorite conversation partner.

Dont forget to register for this event here (its free)
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/public-lecture-gravitational-wave-detection-registration-2003171678414