Einstein is very popular this week. I have 2 radio interviews, there's a public lecture, and the Irish Independent are running a piece some day this week (please email me when you see it). I'll be talking on air (and via the net www.newstalk106.ie) on Monday morning to Orla Barry and probably also about Einstein when I'm in studio with Pat Kenny later that morning (see calendar below). The reason? It's Einstein Year as 2005 is the 100th anniversary of Einstein's "Miracle Year" when, as a complete unknown aged only 26, he published 3 major papers on relativity, the photoelectric effect and Brownian motion which were to have profound effects on our understanding of the universe. He added his famous equation E=MC^2 later that year too! The radio shows and our own April Lecture about Einstein's life are detailed in the Calendar below, but this week the Institute of Physics in Ireland and the RDS are running a lecture "Inside Einstein's Universe" in Dublin twice on Tuesday at 2pm and 4pm, and then on Wednesday at 4pm in Queens University Belfast. Dr Ciaran Byrne (RDS) kindly provides these: The talk is aimed at school students specifically transition years but it is geared such that anyone will understand. no prior knowledge of physics is required. Also members of the general public and indeed anyone interested in this topic are welcome to attend. The Lecturer Simon Steel is an astronomer and education specialists at the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Working with NASA and its space missions he studies the deepest mysteries of our universe, where it came from, how it is evolving and where we as living beings fit in. Simon obtained his Ph.D. at University College Dublin, after studying at Sussex and Oxford Universities in England. He was born and grew up in London and has the misfortune of supporting Tottenham Hotspur. Although Simon claims no Irish roots, he does boast two Irish descendants, his Dublin born Children Conor & Aisling. The Lecture - "Inside Einstein's Universe" Almost a century ago, Albert Einstein created a new way to look at space and time that made three predictions so bizarre, even Einstein himself refused to believe they were real. Now, at the beginning of the 21st Century we find that the three ideas: the big bang, black holes and dark energy, are the greatest discoveries of modern astronomy. This talk will go beyond Einstein's, to see how this idea let us explore the origin of our universe and ultimately, the origin of ourselves. Places can be booked for Dublin by contacting Dr. Ciaran Byrne on 01-2407217 or e-mail ciaran.byrne@rds.ie and there is a nominal charge of EUR2 per lecture. And with Prof Bob McCullough in Belfast at 028-90273541 price £1.50. CALENDAR OF COMING EVENTS: MON 31 JAN 9:30AM: Newstalk 106FM Orla Barry talks to David Moore about Einstein Year 2005, the man & AI's April lecture (see below) MON 31 JAN 11AM: RTE RADIO 1 Pat Kenny talks to David Moore about AI's Evening Classes and more... Titan? Einstein? TUE 01 FEB 2PM & 4PM: "Inside Einstein's Universe" Lecture in RDS. See above TUE 01 FEB 8PM: "ASTRONOMY IRELAND RADIO SHOW" on Anna Livia 103.2FM (on AI's website few days later) WED 01 FEB 4PM: "Inside Einstein's Universe" Lecture in Q.U.B. See above WED 02 FEB: AI's EVENING CLASSES IN ASTRONOMY begin in DCU. Book http://www.astronomy.ie/eveningclass.html THU 03 FEB: Irish Times article about CASSINI-HUYGENS lecture in February (see below) MON 14 FEB 8pm: "CASSINI-HUYGENS MISSION TO SATURN" by Cassini scientist Prof Carl Murray. Book http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0502.html MON 11 APR 8PM: Einstein Lecture: details and bookings: http://www.astronomy.ie/lecture0504.html Do tune in to my to Monday morning interviews either on the airwaves or on the net www.newstalk106.ie and http://www.rte.ie/radio1/ and don't forget we'll be on air again on Tuesday night at 8pm on Ireland's only astronomy show on radio (see Feb 1 in the calendar above). David Moore, Chairman, Astronomy Ireland www.astronomy.ie Tel (01) 847 0777 for all your astronomical needs