String theory and the beginning of the universe will be the topic of discussion at the next colloquium hosted by the Physics Department on April 28, 2017. The event is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. in Science Hall, Room 1013-B and is open to the campus community. The guest speaker will be Liam McAllister, PhD, a string theorist at Cornell University.
McAllister will explain how observations of the beginning of the universe are helping researchers discover the quantum-mechanical laws of gravity. Measurements of the microwave radiation, that is the afterglow of the Big Bang, have given us a clear picture of the beginning of the universe but interpreting this picture requires a quantum-mechanical theory of gravity, such as string theory. McAllister will describe what can be learned about string theory and about the history of our universe, by looking in the sky for the imprints of quantum fluctuations of the gravitational field.
For more information, contact Dr. Michael Wood, wood5@canisius.edu.
Submitted by: Michael Wood, PhD, chair, Physics Department
