Solving the secrets of gravity - with Claudia de Rham

A world-renowned physicist seeks gravity’s true nature, and finds wisdom in embracing its force in her life. Watch the Q&A for this talk here (exclusively for YouTube channel members): Buy Claudia’s book ’The Beauty of Falling’ here: This talk was recorded at the Ri on 13 April 2024. Join this channel to get access to perks and support our charitable work: Claudia de Rham has been playing with gravity her entire life. As a diver, experimenting with her body’s buoyancy in the Indian Ocean. As a pilot, soaring over Canadian waterfalls on dark mornings before beginning her daily scientific research. As an astronaut candidate, dreaming of the experience of flying free from Earth’s pull. And as a physicist, discovering new sides to gravity’s irresistible personality by exploring the limits of Einstein’s general theory of relativity. Join Claudia as she narrates her captivating experiences, navigating the collapse of her dream of becoming an astronaut to the pursuit of finally uncovering the truths of gravity. The brightest minds in physics, from Newton and Einstein to Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, have yet to uncover gravity’s secrets, but their knowledge allowed Claudia to reimagine the theory of massive gravity to finally rid the “ghosts” of gravity – dark energy. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from a world leader in theoretical physics, as she unravels the turbulent tales of her success. 00:00 Intro - why can’t we feel gravity? The equivalence principle The fabric of spacetime 11:27 Electromagnetism and gravity 16:42 Gravitational waves and Einstein 19:54 The fundamental forces of nature 28:07 The graviton particle 32:51 How gravity behaves in black holes 40:06 Where Einstein’s theory of relativity breaks down 49:02 How to weaken gravity 57:01 What would happen if gravitons had mass? 59:06 The importance of gravity --- Claudia de Rham is a professor of theoretical physics at Imperial College London, a Simons Emmy Noether Visiting Fellow at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and an adjunct professor of physics at Case Western Reserve University. She researches gravity, particle physics, and cosmology, in pursuit of a more fundamental description of the nature of our universe. De Rham is a 2020 Simons Investigator in Physics, a 2020 Blavatnik Laureate in Physical Sciences and Engineering, and winner of the 2018 Adams Prize for contributions to Mathematics (previous winners include Stephen Hawking and James Clerk Maxwell). She and her research have been featured in the Guardian, Los Angeles Times, Quanta, and BBC’s “The Naked Scientists,” among other outlets, and she appeared in “Through the Wormhole,” a science documentary series hosted by Morgan Freeman. --- The Ri is on Twitter: and Facebook: and TikTok: @ri_science Listen to the Ri podcast: Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: Our editorial policy: Subscribe for the latest science videos: Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won’t cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link. Join this channel to get access to perks: Subscribe for regular science videos: The Ri is on Twitter: and Facebook: and TikTok: @ri_science Listen to the Ri podcast: Donate to the RI and help us bring you more lectures: Our editorial policy: Subscribe for the latest science videos: Product links on this page may be affiliate links which means it won’t cost you any extra but we may earn a small commission if you decide to purchase through the link.