© Pint of Science, 2025. All rights reserved.
From the tiniest quantum quirks to the grandest galactic speeds, this session explores the unseen rhythms of reality. Ben reveals how quantum materials defy logic, Maddy decodes ripples in spacetime from colliding stars, and Caitlin tracks galaxies speeding through the cosmos. It’s a dazzling deep dive into the physics that shapes our universe!
Spacetime’s greatest hits: 10 years of gravitational waves
Maddy Cross-Parkin
(PhD candidate, University of Queensland)
Gravitational waves—theorised by Einstein in 1915—were detected for the first time 10 years ago this year. These tiny ripples in spacetime, caused by merging black holes and neutron stars, carry immense information about the Universe. In this talk, Maddy will explore what they reveal and why they matter.
And: The key to understanding the universe
Prof Ben Powell
(Professor, University of Queensland)
Sometimes 1+1 is not just 2. Sometimes things are more than the sum of their parts. Ben will show you some examples of this in quantum materials, where the strange rules of quantum mechanics apply to uncountably many particles at once.
Give or take 1,000,000 km/h
Caitlin Ross
(PhD candidate, University of Queensland)
Galactic velocity can be broken up into local velocity and cosmic expansion - the latter allows astronomers to estimate distances. However, local velocities usually measure between 0 and 1,000,000 km/h sometimes exceeding 3,000,000 km/h in dense clusters! Caitlin is researching how to measure local velocities, improving our understanding of gravity.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Other Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane events
2025-05-19
Chemical Conversations: From Coral Defense to Floral Attraction
Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane
99 Bridge Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia
2025-05-21
Plagues, Patterns & Public Health
Stone & Wood Brewery Brisbane
99 Bridge Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, QLD 4006, Australia