Master of the Universe: How Einstein's Theories Transformed Our View of the Cosmos

Fall 2023 Sigma Xi Distinguished LectureAlbert Einstein’s greatest accomplishments, his special and general theories of relativity, opened the door to a new era of astronomy. His ideas revealed the source of a star’s power, led to the discovery of neutron stars and black holes, and allowed theorists to realize that the universe is expanding. Just about anywhere astronomers’ observations take them today, they enter Einstein’s realm, where time is relative, mass and energy are interchangeable, and space can stretch and warp. This lecture will show how modern cosmology was founded on the blueprint that Einstein fashioned.Combining her undergraduate training in journalism with a master’s degree in physics, Marcia Bartusiak has been covering the fields of astronomy and physics for more than four decades. A Professor of the Practice Emeritus in the Graduate Program in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bartusiak is the author of seven books on astrophysics and the history of astronomy, including Black Hole, Einstein’s Unfinished Symphony (winner of the American Institute of Physics Science Communication Award), and The Day We Found the Universe (winner of the History of Science Society's Davis Prize). In 2008 she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, cited for “exceptionally clear communication of the rich history, the intricate nature, and the modern practice of astronomy to the public at large.”  The University Book Store will be onsite selling the speaker's books at the event.This lecture was recorded and can be viewed on the Available Recordings page.