Onde gravitazionali: guida per la scoperta dell’universo | Viviana Fafone | TEDxTorVergataUniversity

The mysteries of the universe, gravitation, and celestial bodies never cease to fascinate and intrigue, challenging humanity to push its limits. A historic discovery was recently made: on September 14, 2015, the two instruments of the LIGO experiment in the United States recorded an anomalous result. From that moment, investigations began, culminating in the official announcement of the discovery of gravitational waves. For physics and science, this is a historic event that will have a chapter of its own in every textbook. Gravitational waves were predicted exactly a century ago when Albert Einstein presented his General Theory of Relativity, of which they are one of the cornerstones. Until now, however, they had never been "found," and this announcement aspires to the title of "discovery of the century." Gravitational waves represent another step toward understanding the universe, but much remains to be done because nothing can be left to chance. Professor of Physics at the University of Rome "Tor Vergata," where she graduated in 1991. Her research focuses primarily on gravitational wave detection experiments and cosmic microwave background physics. She has spent extensive research periods at CERN, the INFN Frascati National Laboratories, and the European Gravitational Observatory. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx