Prof. Norbert Bartel, Department of Physics and Astronomy

It's difficult to predict whether Albert Einstein would be laughing or crying were he alive today. More than 80 years after the brilliant physicist discovered the theory of relativity, people are still testing it - and a York University astronomy professor is part of this experiment.

In fact, York is the only Canadian university on the research team led by the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) and Stanford University in California. The Americans are also represented on the team by Harvard University in Massachusetts. Their $1-billion project is called Gravity Probe B. Its mission: to test two previously unverified predictions of Einstein's general theory of relativity. York and Harvard's part of the mission was to identify a "guide star" and to use it to test the theory.

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Contents

• York testing Einstein's theories: the only Canadian university on NASA-Stanford experiment
• Astronomically Speaking
• York Spring Convocation '99
• York's top brass cement ties with Asian governments and universities
• Taylor given distinguished service medal for work in meteorology
• In Brief
• Memorial garden dedicated to "Dr. Janet"
• York's vibrant classical spirit greets The Golden Ass:
• Are you ready for the Summer Sports Camp?
• Board of Governors: new members appointed
• Digging up the past
• Research