Westminster to Celebrate 100th Anniversary of Einstien's Theory of Special Relativity

 Dr. Ezra (Ted) Newman, University of Pittsburgh physics professor emeritus, will deliver the Westminster College Woods Memorial Lecture Wednesday, April 6, at 7 p.m. in Phillips Lecture Hall located in the Hoyt Science Resources Center.

"This year is being celebrated world-wide as the World Year of Physics in honor of the 100th anniversary of that fabulous year, 1905, when Albert Einstein published several seminal papers, including his explanation of the photoelectric effect and his theory of relativity," said Dr. Samuel Lightner, professor of physics at Westminster.  "Dr. Newman, who is a leading scholar on general relativity, will start his popular, non-technical talk with a discussion of scientific judgment as it relates to fads, orthodoxy, and conventional views and continue with our convention a view of quantum mechanics and relativity."

 Newman earned his undergraduate degree from New York University, and his master's and Ph. D. from Syracuse University.  He has been an associate editor of the "Journal of Mathematical Physics," president of the International Society on General Relativity and Gravitation, and committee member for the International Conference on General Relativity. 

The Woods Memorial Lecture honors Dr. Robert M. Woods, professor of physics at Westminster College from 1947-1972.  It is made possible by a gift from the Woods' family that has been supplemented over the years by gifts from friends and alumni.

The event is free and open to the public.  For more information, contact Lightner at (724) 946-7204 or e-mail lightner@westminter.edu.

Dr. Ezra (Ted) Newman