Overview
Explore a comprehensive assessment of Einstein's theory of general relativity in this 34-minute conference talk by Clifford Will from the University of Florida. Delve into the diverse array of precision experiments that have established general relativity as the "standard model" for gravitational physics over the past century. Examine the verification of Einstein's theory through laboratory experiments, solar system observations, and studies of binary pulsars. Discover the challenges and opportunities in testing general relativity in strong-field regimes, gravitational waves, and cosmology. Learn about key concepts such as light bending, gravitational lenses, time warping, Mercury's perihelion, gravitational waves, and black holes. Gain insights into the global network of interferometers and gravitational-wave tests of general relativity. Assess the current state of Einstein's theory and explore its potential limitations in this centennial evaluation presented at the APS April Meeting 2015.
Syllabus
Was Einstein Right? A Centennial Assessment
Geometry bends light: The 1919 Eclipse
Geometry bends light: 1 century highlights
Geometry bends light: Gravitational lenses
Geometry bends light... and wins an Oscar!
Geometry warps time: The redshift
Geometry moves mass: Mercury's perihelion
Geometry has waves
A Global Network of Interferometers
Gravitational-wave tests of GR: Speed
Geometry makes black holes
Black holes have no hair
Counting hair on the galactic center
Strong-Field tests of general relativity
Taught by
APS Physics