From The Royal Institution.

Join Gideon Koekoek as he explores a proposed new machine – the Einstein Telescope, Europe’s most advanced observatory for gravitational waves.

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This lecture was recorded at the Ri on 21 September 2024, in partnership with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

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Pioneering physics discoveries often catch the public eye, such as the discovery of gravitational waves in 2015. Curved spacetime, black holes, and the evolutionary history of the Universe speak immensely to the imagination of the general public as well as science enthusiasts, and yet physics is still perceived as a discipline only accessible for the intellectual elite. Gideon sets out to show that physics is as fun and understandable as it is tremendously exciting, and it is high time we make nature’s mysteries accessible to all.

Gideon will let us in on the secret that nature repeats the same rules over and over again, so that once we understand one case, we can understand more abstract areas too. He will prepare you to fully appreciate, and understand, the exciting discoveries that are coming our way in the next few years.

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Gideon Koekoek is associate professor of physics at Maastricht University, where he is senior staff member in the department of Gravitational Waves and Fundamental Physics. He obtained his BSc, MSc, and PhD in theoretical physics at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Nikhef for subatomic physics, and additionally obtained a second MSc degree in Education. Gideon spends equal time between education, research in gravitational waves and general relativity, and being outreach coordinator for the Virgo Collaboration, the Dutch Black Hole Consortium, and the Einstein Telescope Consortium. He coordinates regional, national, and international projects for public, educational, and political outreach of gravitational wave science and Einstein Telescope in particular, and is a frequently asked presenter on physics, research, and education.

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