President Colby Smith opened the meeting by thanking the greeters, Terry White (our Treasurer) and Jim Meyer, our on-site retired doctor. He then welcomed back our PE Marsha Hunt who had been on an extensive charity trip of her own to Uganda. It was a grueling return but Marsha did bring back Rotary Club flags from two unpronounceable African towns and very pronounceable Paris, France. (Happy to see you back, Marsha, safe and sound.)

PP Aly Shoji came forth to give the invocation and declared this is her favorite part of the week.

While standing, Colby looked around and saw our song maestro Ed Gauld had returned from a short absence, so he requested Ed to come forth. Since the daughter of the famous Clementine was lost in a mine, Ed donned his "miner's hat" and lead the members in a rendition of Old My Darling Clementine. (It sounded as if we all were in a mine!)

Guests for the Day

Captain Tina Nieto introduced her lead officer, Maria Grey, and mentioned she would try to bring a fellow officer as a guest to each meeting. Don Nelson, proudly said his wife was here once again, and said she just likes the food. Kiddingly, he mentioned she doesn't like to cook anymore. PP Dwight Heikkila stood to say his wife Sook was her today representing the Auxiliary. Song leader and PP Ed Gauld was accompanied by his wife Kathy.

Announcements

• At the head table, Colby mentioned, was one of the two best Assistant District Governors, Linton Morgan (our own Dwight Heikkila). Linton discussed the upcoming District Conference in San Diego. 
• Kyle Evans, along with his fellow Rotaract Eddie Hernandez, discussed the "Relay for Life" to be held at Drake Stadium on the UCLA Campus. The intent is to have a 24 hour run to raise money for the various Rotaract activities. They will be selling t-shirts, etc. and having a lot of fun. Kyle also mentioned the third place finish for the UCLA team at the recently held Ethics Forum at LMU. Congratulations Kyle!
• Pat Anderson, looking bright and cheery after her recent surgery, invited all to attend the Spring Tea at the home of Jim and Carol Collins. PP Mike Gintz will be performing on the Cello as a special treat for the guests. Please make reservations with Sook.
• Phil Gabriel, for the umpteenth time, reminded everyone we will be dark on the 28th due to the Book Signing event at the Westwood Library on the evening of the 25th. He did mention however, you may receive a $30 meeting credit on your quarterly Rotary bill. If you wish to dine before the Book Signing you can do so at Roozbeh's restaurant (a special dinner for $40) and have it put on your Rotary bill.

Special Presentation

PP Aly Shoji came forth to make a gift of $1,500 from our Club's Community Avenue of Service to the Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA. Susan Jolley accepted the gift on behalf of the Institute for the UCLA mobile Eye Clinic, a meritorious program that provides high-quality eye care to underserved populations - particularly children and the elderly - who lack access to health care as a result of finances, transportation problems or cultural and language barriers. Dr. Anne Coleman, the Director of the Eye Clinic, had spoke to the WVRC in June 1915, discussing the needs and benefits that the Eye Clinic provides to Southern California community locations.

Truly a great cause and a tribute to the power of private philanthropy and a steadfast mission, Aly said, as she handed over the check to Susan.

Guest Speaker - Dr. Jeff Zweerink

Club VP Tom Barron introduced the astrophysicist, Dr. Jeff Zweerink, a research scholar and director of learning at Reasons to Believe, an organization dedicated to demonstrating the compatibility of science and Christianity. Tom had read about the team of scientists that detected gravitational waves from a collision in deep space which, for the first time, confirmed a key prediction of a theory Albert Einstein developed over 100 years ago. Tom mentioned that this discovery required "scientific faith" of no small measure.

Dr. Zweerink has co-authored over 30 papers and is author of Who's Afraid of the Multiverse?

He is also a project scientist at UCLA working on GAPS, a balloon experiment seeking to detect dark matter.

Jeff, utilizing a power-point presentation, began with an elementary review (for most of us in the audience) of Einstein's general theory of relativity. Einstein was bothered by how the known laws of physics described protons acting in relationship to each other. In fact, Einstein developed two theories of relativity, special and general. Special relativity showed that time and length are not as absolute as experience would suggest, the outcome became his most famous theory of all, E=mc2. This defined the two physical quantities of energy and mass as being equivalent.

In his explanation of general relativity, Jeff showed how space and time became more flexible.

He discussed and projected an illustration of how distortions of space and time influence the way that material objects (light) move in the universe. In fact, he pointed out, Einstein held there was a direct connection in the space-time concept that holds the universe together.

However, Einstein introduced a new physical description of how gravity worked. (This, of course, makes the earth orbit the sun and keeps our feet on the ground.) Jeff then outlined three tests which supported this general theory of relativity and how it has become the foundation of modern astrophysics and cosmology.

Using the term "fabric of space-time" and illustrations on power-point, Jeff focused on the theory of gravitational waves. Distortions of space created by the movement of large objects create ripples (stretching and contracting) into the far depths of the fabric of space-time. These ripples, Jeff explained, give us the ability to measure the effect of gravitational waves which bind space and time. Thus, Einstein's prediction in 1916 of gravitational waves has been detected by physicists using gravitational wave instruments set up on Earth.

Jeff discussed the construction of two gravitational instruments, one located in Hanford, WA and the other in Livingston, LA. He considered the instruments and detection process as nothing short of an "incredible technological achievement." But attracted scientists to do this, he offered. Well, using a fishing analogy, unless you put a lure in the water, you just don't know if the fish are there.

This discovery is also the first ever direct detection of black holes with thirty times the mass of the Sun. Furthermore, two of these black holes collided. Black holes are mysterious regions in space where strong gravity occurs because matter has been pressed into a tiny space. A new black hole was created by the collision. The explosion blasted the equivalent energy of an object three times the mass of the sun into the fabric of space some 1.3 billion light years ago.

Jeff discussed the implications of this discovery upon our belief in science and man. He said this is the final validation of Einstein's theory of relativity but also upon mankind's faith in science.

True, but it was more than just faith, he pointed out, it was the "confidence" that science could prove existing theories. Also, the universe is governed by explicitly constant laws of physics.

This will lead to new and exciting discoveries in gravitational astronomy. He pointed out how the Hubble telescope gave us the signs of distant galaxies moving away from us consistently.

These discoveries, in effect, are tell-tale signs of an expanding universe.

Jeff's final slide, which prompted numerous questions, listed four important points related to the discovery of gravitational waves: Confirmation of Einstein's general relativity; New support for Christianity; New window to observe the universe; and, Just Plain Cool!

Questions:

Can you give an illustration of space-time? Very difficult to do so, only a verbal description possible.

Was another universe responsible for creating our universe? Just don't know. There is more stuff out there than we can see, although the models don't show it. That is a more philosophical question than scientific. But the key question would be, what was responsible for the beginning of the multiverse?

Is there such a thing as a "God particle?" Just a reference term, not a real existence. It has no bearing on whether God exists.

You mentioned support for Christianity. What about Judaism? One and the same. All the Biblical implications for the universe come from the Old Testament (Torah). The only difference between Judaism and Christianity is the resurrection of Christ, which is entirely another issue.

The Bible speaks to both Christianity and Judaism.

By the number and depth of questions, Jeff was a big hit. But if you wish to know more about gravitational waves, don't call the Windmill's author, call or e-mail Jeff at reasonstobelieve.org.

Colby closed the meeting without mentioning next Thursday's speaker. Why? WE ARE DARK!