U. to host free Einstein lectures

Scientists at the University of Utah will deliver a pair of free public lectures Tuesday and Wednesday about the alpha physicist of all time, Albert Einstein.

Both lectures start 7 p.m. in the U.'s Kingsbury Hall, located on President's Circle at the top of 200 South. They are among the concluding events for the U.'s observance of the World Year of Physics, which has been celebrating the 100th anniversary of Einstein's "miracle year."

1905 is when the 26-year-old technical expert working in the patent office in Bern, Switzerland, submitted scientific papers that revolutionized physics.

According to the American Institute of Physics, the papers were about the structure of light; heat as a result of atomic motion; electromagnetism and motion; and a new finding concerning his Special Theory of Relativity.

The final document contains Einstein's famous equation "E equals MC squared," the basis for atomic bombs and nuclear power.

Benjamin Bromley, associate professor of physics, will speak Tuesday on the subject, "Space, Time and the Expanding Universe." The U. quotes the lecture summary as saying Einstein's theory of gravity predicted curved space-times and black homes, regions with such strong gravity that not even light can escape.

"Einstein's theory also enabled us to build a picture of our universe as it transformed from a hot Big Bang into the web of galaxies we see today," the release adds, quoting the summary. "However, this picture also contains mysteries, for it suggests the presence of dark matter surrounding galaxies, and dark energy, which seems to permeate all of space."

On Wednesday, Orest Symko, professor of physics, will discuss "The Quest for Energy Using Heat and Sound." Because waste heat is all around, the talk says, its conversion to electrical power can provide an important source of renewable energy.

The university's observation of the World Year of Physics concludes with a free screening in its Physics Film Festival. Movies to be shown from 7 p.m. to midnight on Dec. 17 are "The Best Mind Since Einstein" and "Planet of the Apes."

The shows will be in Room 101 of the James Fletcher Building on the U. campus.