The Einstein Telescope: Discovery and diplomacy

Theoretical physicist, and President-elect of the International Science Council, Robbert Dijkgraaf explores what makes the Einstein Telescope so important.

The Einstein Telescope, currently planned for operation in 2035, will be one of the most powerful tools for detecting gravitational waves and testing the theory of General Relativity. Not only is it a wonder of scientific design, but it's also a platform for international cooperation and innovation.

In this talk, theoretical physicist Robbert Dijkgraaf will delve into the details of what makes the Einstein Telescope so special. What does it do, what are we hoping to learn, and how can scientific collaboration between countries be a valuable source of soft power?

Once constructed, the telescope is expected to provide scientists with some of the most sensitive equipment ever for answering some of these fundamental questions. As well as testing Einstein's general theory of relativity, it will be able to search for dark matter, help unlock the secrets of the early universe, and teach us more about black holes and neutron stars.

This talk is presented in collaboration with the Embassy of the Netherlands.