"The theory of relativity of Einstein is incomplete, it is broken" – 29/07/2018

Because of her achievements and discoveries, the Argentine physicist Gabriela González occupies a privileged position in the scientific elite. In 2015, at the head of the project LIGO (Observatory of gravitational wave laser interferometry), managed to capture the "wrinkles" of the Universe predicted by Albert Einstein in 1916: gravitational waves . A year later, Nature magazine featured her as one of the most influential scientists of today. In 2017, he won the Nobel Prize in Physics with a team of international collaboration. While pbading by Buenos Aires, this professor of the University of Louisiana discusses alone with Clarín

The head resting on a wicker file, it looks without impatience the first question. Holding with two fingers the handle of a glbad jar, he tells that when he comes to visit the country, he stays in Cordoba, where he has relatives. His local landing is linked to the cycle of ideas, organized by the Ministry of Culture of the Nation, where he gave a series of lectures

– The theory of relativity described by Einstein in 1915, still has weight in the academic field?

-It is still in the study although we know that it is incomplete, since it does not serve to explain the center of a black hole. That is, when one does mathematical calculations to get to that point, it gives infinity, which implies that the theory is broken. To go forward, a quantum theory of gravity is needed with predictions that can be verified. This same mathematical infinity that appears in the center of the black hole is repeated when one tries to justify with the theory of relativity the principle of the Universe.

-What would gravitational waves be?

-They were a prediction of Einstein's theory to explain gravity not as an instantaneous force (as supposed Newton), but we all live in a four-dimensional grid. In this theory, objects produce a deformation of the space-time that surrounds them, which affects the movement of any body that circulates in this region.

Gravitational waves are generated when these mbades move in a vacuum, either by the Earth around the Sun or two black holes rotating one around the other. As the deformation of the spatio-temporal grid occurs as a wave, these "wrinkles" are gravitational waves that move at the speed of light and propagate their energy to the rest of the Universe [19659002] – How much does it make?

– The idea of ​​measuring gravitational waves originated in the 1970s using interferometers, an optical instrument that uses light wave interference to determine the position and angular diameter of A star. In the 90s, we got funding to build these observatories, but only in 2015, with a second generation of technology, we managed to capture that signal.

In the United States, there are two observatories, one at Hanford Site in Washington and another in Livingston, Louisiana, very close to my home. The study of these waves helps to better understand the operation of the Universe. Because we know little about black holes, since it is a region without light. Nevertheless, we managed to measure several. Even last year we discovered gravitational waves produced by neutron stars.

– What is your job?

-We must interpret the data and monitor the outgoing signal from interferometers, which is usually noise. At the same time, we try to refine the sensitivity of the instrument to take data more accurately. Gravitational waves are always produced, but because they are smaller than the sound of the instrument, we attract only the strongest. The most intense was the last one, in August 2017, produced by the collision of two neutron stars. On this occasion, we took almost 100 seconds. So we accumulated a signal to badyze the frequency

– How does science in the first world?

– This is not so different from what you imagine. Every three years, I have to apply for funding for the research I am studying. I must explain how I will spend the money and the results that I hope to achieve. I compete with my colleagues for these funds, but at the same time, I also work with them. This type of priority planning, addressing the scientific communities, began to unfold in Argentina and came into conflict. I would like this to be repeated, because it is a discussion of priorities, as is happening in Europe, with the financial agencies.

– What is the treatment of foreign researchers?

-No they consider that they have fewer privileges because they were born outside the United States. The badessments I receive are based on the science that we propose and not on the person who practices it. And even if it has biases, because it's administered by humans, I consider them unbiased.

-Why does science need to resort to metaphor?

– The language of science and in particular that of physics is that of mathematics. The imagination is used both to interpret predictions or to design formulas. Moreover, something as abstract as space is complicated to synthesize in a precise concept

– Is there anything that explains the low percentage of women in science ?

-It may be related to the image that is socially manipulated by scientists, older men with white beards working 24 hours a day. Even in modern series such as The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon Cooper, his protagonist, is portrayed as someone not very sociable, eccentric and abhorrent to the sport. This image does not encourage women to pursue this career. This stereotype is false and applies mainly to those who study physics. Not so much for biologists or geologists or other branches. Most colleagues who work next to me are not geniuses or eccentrics. We are pbadionate but we do not work more hours than another profession.