Relatively Speaking

In 1905 Einstein developed the special theory of relativity which changed people's perceptions of space and time. Ten years later, Einstein added gravity and came up with a general theory of relativity. I will try to explain these ideas and their relevance to everyday life. For example, some of you will rely on Einstein's theory of gravity to get to the venue.

The theory of general relativity breaks down inside a black hole, but this is not a problem for the world or the theory since nothing escapes a black hole. In this talk, we will describe our recent discovery of a situation where the theory can fall short outside of black holes. We will explain why this might be a bad thing for the theory but why we hope that it cannot happen in our four-dimensional universe.

Looking at the expanding universe reveals a number of unexpected connections between the size and age of the universe and conditions needed for life. Provocative evidence in support of the idea that our universe is part of a multiverse will be revealed. Finally, we will see what the observed acceleration of our universe's expansion today signals about its future. Our own place in cosmic history appears to be one that is advantageous for arriving at an understanding of the universe.