Canadian University Press Releases/Newswire

Source: Brandon University
http://www.brandonu.ca/news/article.asp?A_ID=1130

Science Seminar Series presents BU's Dr. Jeffrey G. Williams

October 18, 2006

BRANDON, MB - On
Tuesday, October 24 from 12:40 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., the Brandon University
Science Seminar series will present a talk by Dr. Jeffrey G. Williams, Vice
President (Academic and Research) at Brandon University, titled The Road to
Relativity. Dr. Williams' talk will take place in room 3-42 of the Brodie
Sciences Building and is free of charge. All are welcome!

The abstract for Dr. Williams' talk is as follows:

Following his 1905 discovery of Special Relativity, Einstein began work on
his General Relativity (GR), which was intended to explain gravity. By 1912,
the pieces were in place and Einstein knew enough to complete GR by writing
down the gravitational field equations. Yet his progress stopped abruptly
and, for the next three years, Einstein tried several alternative
approaches, repeatedly changing his mind. Then suddenly, in 1915, Einstein
returned to his original idea and presented his equations.

What had been the difficulty that had prevented progress from 1912 to 1915?
And how had Einstein resolved it? This non-technical talk will be
understandable by all.

All presentations in the Brandon University Science Seminar Series are free
of charge and open to all.

See a list of upcoming Science Seminar Series talks at:
http://www.brandonu.ca/Academic/Science/lectures.html

For more information, please contact:

Kelly Stifora
Communications Officer
Brandon University
Phone: (204) 727-9762
Email: communications@brandonu.ca

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