Talks and shows

At the limits of astrophysics

Explore the exotic possibilities and physics of astrophysical objects, including wormholes and warp drives.

NASA via Unsplash

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Much of modern astronomy sounds a lot like science fiction - gravitational ripples in the fabric of spacetime, supermassive black holes hiding at the centre of galaxies, habitable exoplanets within the reach of our telescopes…are there any limits to what is out there?

In this lecture, astrophysicist Katy Clough will discuss some of the more exotic possibilities for astrophysical objects, including wormholes and warp drives. She will explain how these objects fit within our current understanding of physics, and what we expect the limits to be.

Whilst largely considered to be firmly in the category of fiction, such concepts are nevertheless based on solid scientific ideas about the curvature of spacetime from Einstein’s theory of general relativity. This theory is known to be hugely counter-intuitive, giving rise to singularities, event horizons and time dilation around black holes. In strong gravity regimes things behave very differently to the low gravity environment on the Earth, so our intuition, which is based on our everyday experience, can mislead us. Studying these objects can help us to challenge our understanding of what is “natural”, and better understand the extreme limits of gravitational theory.

Event type

This is a theatre only event where the speakers and audience are together in our Theatre.

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For any queries regarding this event please get in touch by phone 020 7409 2992 or email events@ri.ac.uk.

About Katy Clough

Katy Clough
Image credit: Katy Clough

Katy Clough is a lecturer and Ernest Rutherford Fellow in the School of Mathematical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London. She studies systems with strong dynamical gravity using numerical simulations, including black holes and the early universe. She is part of the fundamental physics working group for the future space based gravitational wave detector, LISA. Katy’s first degree was in Engineering and her degree in Physics was obtained from the Open University whilst working as a chartered accountant. After her PhD at King’s College London she worked in Goettingen in Germany and in Oxford University in postdoctoral positions. She believes that science is for everyone and that there is no right way to be a scientist.

Timing

Doors to the theatre will open at 6.45pm and the talk will begin at 7.00pm.

Accessibility

The event will take place on the first floor and there is step-free access from the street via lift.

The closest underground station is Green Park, which is step-free.

There is space at floor level in the theatre for wheelchair users.

Seating is usually unreserved for our events. If you and your group require seating reservations, please do let us know by emailing us at events@ri.ac.uk, and we’ll be more than happy to help.

Carers can receive a free ticket to an event by emailing events@ri.ac.uk.

Our theatre is equipped with an Audio Induction Loop. 

Covid guidelines

Face masks are no longer mandatory and wearing one in our Theatre and at other Ri events is at your discretion, however please do not attend the Ri if you are displaying Covid symptoms or, if you have tested, the result remains positive. Thank you for respecting other people and their choices, and for helping us keep all of our visitors and staff safe and well.

Event terms and conditions