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\"The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible\"

This quote from Einstein continues to be particularly apt in the context of modern cosmology. Prof Gregory will talk about how we believe we understand the universe we live in, describing it by physical theories that were developed in a very different arena and for different reasons. She will also assess what many people have described as \"Einstein\s biggest blunder\", the cosmological constant; but she will suggest that it seems necessary to explain the astronomical observations we see today.

Ruth Gregory is professor of physics at Durham University. She conducts research into the operation of gravity over very short distances and multi-dimensional theories of the universe. She has appeared three times on Melvyn Bragg\s BBC Radio 4 programme \"In Our Time\" and has written 4 books on cosmology and relativity.