Listers still keen for some philosophical stimulation on Wednesday afternoon may consider the following workshop with the physicist Lawrence Krauss and a couple of others including Dean Rickles:
Academic Workshop on "Cosmological Controversies" -- dark matter, string theory, many worlds, anthropic principle, ... Lecture Theatre 2 (LT2) in the School of Physics, University of Sydney. Wednesday, 24th September 2008 2:00pm - 5:00pm (with a break for afternoon tea). ================================================================ Lawrence Krauss is also giving a public lecture on Tuesday. (There has been a lot of interest in this so it maybe prudent to arrive a little early.) "Life, The Universe, and Nothing: Life and Death in an Ever-Expanding Universe" ------------------------------------------------ Tuesday, 23rd September 2008 at 6:30 pm The Footbridge Lecture Theatre (on Parramatta Road) University of Sydney, Free Admission, All Welcome Abstract: -------- In this talk, I will ruminate on the future of the Universe itself, and also on the future of life within it, using as my starting point recent observations in cosmology. I will first discuss why the Universe we appear to inhabit is the worst of all possible universes, as far as considerations of the quality and quantity of life is concerned. I will then address several fascinating questions that have arisen as a result of our discovery that the dominant energy of the universe resides in empty space: * Can life be eternal in an eternally expanding universe,? * Are the laws of physics tailored for the existence of life? * What will science in the far future tell us about the universe? ================================================================ Lawrence M. Krauss is Professor of Earth and Space Exploration, and Physics at Arizona State University, and Director of their new Origins Initiative. He is on the advisory board of Scientists and Engineers for America, the steering committee of Science Debate 2008 and past chair of the American Physical Society's Forum on Physics and Society. http://krauss.faculty.asu.edu/ His books include "Hiding in the Mirror", "Quintessence", "The Physics of Star Trek", "Fear of Physics" and "The Fifth Essence". ================================================================ Presented by The Centre for Human Aspects of Science and Technology: www.chast.org _______________________________________________ SydPhil mailing list [email protected] List Info: http://lists.arts.usyd.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/sydphil NEW LIST ARCHIVE: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
