Science Pub - Black Holes: From Science Fantasy to Strange Reality June 12, 2008

The existence of black holes has been suspected for over 200 years, but few physicists expected to ever find evidence for them. But times have changed. Now, it’s believed that just about every spiral galaxy has a massive black hole in its center, and we know more about how they form and how they’re likely to interact with the rest of the universe. At this Science Pub, we’ll discuss the latest research and theories, including how gravitational radiation detectors (such as LIGO) http://www.ligo.caltech.edu help understand these captivating astrophysical objects.

Jim Isenberg, Ph.D, http://physics.uoregon.edu/~jim/ has worked for 30 years on what Einstein's theory of general relativity tells us about black holes, gravitational waves, and the evolution of the universe. He is a professor of mathematics and director of the Institute for Theoretical Physics at the University of Oregon.

Science Pub is open to anyone and everyone; no RSVP is necessary. Come early if you want to order food and drinks and get a seat. Tell your friends. We hope to see you there!

Science Pub is held every second Thursday at Cozmic Pizza and is co-sponsored by OMSI http://www.omsi.edu, University of Oregon’s College of Arts & Sciences http://cas.uoregon.edu, and The Science Factory http://www.sciencefactory.org.

Questions? E-mail sciencepub@omsi.edu or call 503.797.4517. Visit http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepub for a description of upcoming topics.

Official Website: http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepub