Brisbane

Café Scientific at the Brisbane Writers Festival Imperfect Creation- the Gloriously Messy Universe

Sunday Sept 5, 3pm – FREE

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Could it be possible that after decades of searching, it may turn out that there is no cosmic blueprint, no ultimate theory of everything? Marcelo Gleiser believes so, arguing that the universe is not elegant but is instead, gloriously messy. On the other hand, Queensland astronomer Dr Tamara Davis counters that the universe is messily elegant: it’s very elegance emerges from its intrinsic chaos. Meanwhile Queensland physicist Andrew White believes there is a way through to a cosmic blueprint: via superstring theory. This fascinating discussion hosted by Dr Paul Willis (ABC Catalyst) will grapple with some amazingly contradictory theories about how we happen to exist.

Venue: The Breezeway Stage, Maiwar Green, Southbank, Brisbane. (this venue is located between the State Library of Queensland and Gallery of Modern Art)

Marcelo Gleiser is Professor of Natural Philosophy, Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College. His lectures are as popular with literature students as they are with science students. He is the multi-award winning author of The Dancing Universe: From Creation Myths to the Big Bang; The Prophet and the Astronomer: A Scientific Journey to the End of Time and Imperfect Creation: Cosmos, Life and Nature’s Hidden Code. Tamara Davis is a member of the University of Queensland Astrophysics Group, where her research involves using supernovae to find dark energy. “The stuff we can see in the night sky makes up just four per cent of the Universe. The rest consists of dark matter and dark energy”.” During European summers she switches hemispheres to search for darkness during 18 hours per day of daylight at the Dark Cosmology Centre in Copenhagen. Andrew White is Professor at the School of Mathematics & Physics, University of Queensland. His research interests include quantum information, quantum optics-all aspects of quantum weirdness -and biophysics. He is a prolific science communicator on the weirdness of quantum mechanics.

Presented by ABC Science and the Brisbane Writers Festival

Abbie Thomas Program maker abc.net.au/science 02 8333 5116

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