April 6, 2017

Secret Science Club presents Mathematical Physicist Robbert Dijkgraaf, Monday, April 17, 8 PM @ the Bell House, FREE!

Count down the seconds to the next Secret Science Club when we explore “Black Holes & the End of Space and Time” with Physicist Robbert Dijkgraaf!

Einstein’s theory of relativity showed that gravity and the evolution of the cosmos can be understood through the geometry of space and time. But some of the most dramatic predictions of that theory, such as black holes and the Big Bang, challenge that idea. When combined with quantum mechanics, the solution points to a deeper underlying description of reality where space and time are . . . but an illusion.

Did the Big Bang create time? Do space and time switch places inside a black hole?
 
And that’s not all! Robbert Dijkgraaf examines how the strangest, deepest questions about the nature of the Universe sometimes yield the most unexpected and practical solutions to human problems. In a just-reissued reprise of one of the seminal arguments for the importance of basic scientific research, Dr. Dijkgraaf celebrates The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge.

Robbert Dijkgraaf is professor of physics and director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. His research focuses on string theory and the interface between mathematics and particle physics. The former president of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, he is a recipient of the Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands. A popular TV presenter, he starred in the science show Hoe?Zo! and gives frequent public talks.

Before & After
--Get looped (temporally) with our mind-bending cocktail of the night, the Time Collins
--Groove like its 1999 … or 2599 … or 1699! And get lost in space-time with out-of-this-world tunes
--Snag a signed copy of The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge with an introductory essay of epic dimensions by Robbert Dijkgraaf
--Stick around for the celestial Q&A

This timeless edition of the Secret Science Club meets Monday, April 17, 2017, 8pm @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Subway: F or G to 4th Ave; R to 9th St. 

Doors open at 7:30 pm. Please bring ID: 21+
No cover. Just bring your smart self!

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