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Kip S. Thorne, Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus at the California Institute of Technology, gave the 51^st George Gamow Memorial Lecture at CU 麻豆影院 on the topic of, 鈥淧robing the Warped Side of the Universe with Gravitational Waves: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.鈥�

A half century ago, Thorne proposed that theoretical 鈥済ravitational waves,鈥� which he describes as 鈥渞ipples in the fabric of space and time,鈥� could be used to explore the origins of the universe, and finding them became a major focus of his career. In 1984 he co-founded the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, or LIGO, with physicists Rainer Weiss from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Caltech鈥檚 Ronald Drever, to begin the search.

And on Feb. 11, 2016鈥攁 century after Albert Einstein first posited the existence of gravitational waves鈥攁 team of LIGO scientists announced that the decades-long quest had had been achieved with the detection of gravitational waves in September 2015.

Thorne also has carved out a role as a creative consultant to Hollywood. He suggested to his friend Carl Sagan that he make use of a 鈥渨ormhole鈥� in the science-fiction film of his book, 鈥淐ontact,鈥� and co-wrote the treatment for a film that would become 鈥淚nterstellar,鈥� for which Thorne served as executive producer.

The lecture, presented by the Department of Physics, is made possible by an endowment honoring Gamow, the late CU 麻豆影院 physicist who pioneered the concept that would become known as the Big Bang and authored many much-loved books popularizing science. Previous speakers have included 25 recipients of the Nobel Prize as well as globally known scientists Jane Goodall, Freeman J. Dyson, Linus Pauling and others.

鈥淲e are honored to have Kip Thorne give the 51st George Gamow Memorial Lecture. Professor Gamow would have been enthralled by the recent discovery by LIGO of gravitational waves from colliding black holes,鈥� says Paul Beale, professor of physics and chair of the Gamow Memorial Lecture Committee.

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The George Gamow Memorial Lecture Committee is proud to announce that Professor Kip S. Thorne has agreed to give the 51^st George Gamow Memorial Lecture on Thursday April 27, 2017 in Macky Auditorium.

Kip Thorne is the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. He is a theoretical physicist specializing in the astrophysical effects of Einstein鈥檚 General Theory of Relativity, especially black holes and gravitational waves. He was one of the founding members of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) in 1984. The goal of LIGO is to observe gravitational waves from extreme astrophysical events. Gravitational waves were first predicted by Albert Einstein one-hundred years ago this year. While there is good indirect evidence for gravitational waves based on the behavior of binary pulsars, the first direct measurement of a gravitational wave was announced by the LIGO team on February 11, 2016. Two independent laser interferometers in Livingston, Louisiana and Hanford, Washington observed a gravitational wave on September 14, 2015. Analysis of the signal indicates the wave was produced by the collision of two black holes more than one-billion light years away. 

Professor Thorne is an accomplished author of books for scientists and the general public, and he was the scientific consultant and Executive Producer of the film Interstellar. He has been deluged with speaking invitations, but he agreed to give the Gamow Lecture because "George Gamow played a huge role in getting me hooked on physics when I was a teenager.鈥� 

In addition to the Gamow Lecture, Professor Thorne is scheduled to give a technical seminar at noon on Friday April 28, 2017.

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