Dr. Marco Cavaglia, a LIGO researcher and associate professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Mississippi, spoke tonight at the Catawba Science Center about the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory. This is a revolutionary new kind of telescope designed and built to observe, for the first time, ripples in the fabric of space-time believed to be caused by massive cosmic events.
Between 40 and 50 people attended his presentation in the Millholland Planetarium. Basically it was a poor slide show in an inappropriate place for a slide show, but Dr. Cavaglia still presented a very good program. I liked the way he asked questions about the issues involved, discussed problems that were encountered and showed how important breakthroughs in research made the building and work of this extended observatory possible.He was available afterwards for discussion, conversation and questions in a cafeteria with finger food, soda, beer and wine. One of the things I learned is that the mirrors for the Hubble Space Telescope were made here in Hickory. By Corning. That's good. Things are looking up.
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