Dr Laura Nuttall is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow and a Reader of Astrophysics at the University of Portsmouth. She has been researching gravitational waves in the LIGO Scientific Collaboration for over a decade. In her talk Laura will delve into the world of Gravitational Waves. The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO) consists of two 4-km gravitational-wave detectors in Hanford, WA and Livingston, LA, along with the 3-km Virgo detector near Pisa, Italy. These three detectors use laser interferometry to measure tiny ripples in space-time caused by passing gravitational waves from cataclysmic cosmic sources. To date over fifty gravitational-wave signals have been detected, all from the merger of black holes and neutron stars. These observations are transforming our understanding of our universe. In this talk Laura will discuss what gravitational waves are, the challenges of detecting them and the exciting astrophysics we have uncovered.

Prof Chris Lintott is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Oxford, where he is also a research fellow at New College, working on topics from galaxy evolution, transient detection and machine learning. As Principal Investigator of the Zooniverse, he leads a team who run the world’s most successful citizen science projects, allowing more than a million people to discover planets, transcribe ancient papyri or explore the Serengeti. A passionate advocate of the public understanding of science, he is best known as co-presenter of the BBC’s long running Sky at Night program. His book, ‘The Crowd and the Cosmos’, is now available from Oxford University Press. In this talk, Chris takes a fresh look at the Universe around us, using the latest data and discoveries to explore how we’re doing in the biggest questions of all - what did the Earth come to be, how did the Universe begin…and is there anyone out there?

Following the talks there will be a 30 minute Q&A panel session, providing you with the opportunity to ask your questions directly to the speakers.

Getting to the event: Parking is available in the car park opposite the Rik Medlik building on the University of Surrey campus. You must ensure you park in the car park as sign-posted and NOT the pay and display car park. If you park in the pay and display car park you will be required to pay, whereas the sign posted car park for this event is free. There is also a bus that stops directly outside the Rik Medlik building, if you alight at the Austin Pearce stop.

You will be asked to follow COVID guidelines set by the University of Surrey, which recommend the wearing of face coverings (unless exempt) and taking a lateral flow test before arrival. A QR code will be presented at check-in to facilitate contact tracing if required.