Astronomy, Black Holes, Classes, Einstein, SETI

Coming Up: Einstein without Tears; Religion and Extraterrestrial Life

September 29, 2024

Posted by Andrew Fraknoi

Two upcoming events that may be of interest to you (please pass on to others who may like them):

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at San Francisco State Presents:

A non-technical, 6-week class with Professor Andrew Fraknoi

Einstein without Tears
Tuesdays from 12:30 to 2:30 pm via Zoom (Oct. 8 – Nov. 12, 2024)

This non-technical, non-mathematical introduction to some of the most awe-inspiring ideas from the work of Albert Einstein is designed for people with little or no science background. If you’ve been intrigued by Einstein (who was Time magazine’s “Person of the Century” in 1999,) but have been scared away by thoughts of pages filled with equations, this is the class for you! We’ll explain everything with analogies, clear photos and diagrams, and touches of humor.

You will come away from this course with a new appreciation of the physical world and its behavior under extreme conditions. You’ll also see why Einstein’s theories continue to fascinate both scientists and science fiction fans today. Our goal is to give a concise overview of Einstein’s ideas, and show how modern science (especially astronomy) has now confirmed the bizarre predictions of his theories.

Along the way you will come to understand such weird notions as: why there is no such thing as a universal “now;” how space itself can bend and warp; that there are at least two ways to do realistic time travel; how giant black holes can form in space (we’ll explain just what those are); and – in the latest triumph for Einstein – the existence of gravity waves (whose discovery got the Nobel prize a few years ago.)

The course costs $125 plus a modest membership fee. To read more about the course and register, visit:
https://www.campusce.net/sfsu/course/course.aspx?C=1177&pc=138&mc=0&sc=0

If you have any questions about registering, please contact olli@sfsu.edu

Each class session will be recorded so students who cannot attend at the scheduled time can watch the recording at their leisure.

2) On Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2024 at 7 pm (PDT), Dr. David Weintraub (Vanderbilt University) will give a free, illustrated, non-technical on-line lecture entitled:

“Profound and Staggering: The Impact on Religion of the Potential Discovery of Life Around Other Stars“

Livestreamed at YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/SVAstronomyLectures

[if you go to this web address the evening of the talk, you will see, and be able to participate in, the live event]

This virtual talk is part of the Silicon Valley Astronomy Lecture Series (through Foothill College), now in its 25th year.

Astronomers have now discovered thousands of planets in orbit around other stars. Dr. Weintraub will discuss those discoveries, and predict the progress astronomers are likely to make in their more detailed studies of these planets over the next fifty years. Then he will consider the consequences of those potential discoveries for Roman Catholicism, Mainline Protestantism, Christian Creationism, Seventh Day Adventism, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism — for all of which the discovery of a planet with life on it may be profound. The 20th century visionary Buckminster Fuller said, “Sometimes I think we’re alone. Sometimes I think we’re not. In either case, the thought is staggering.”

This presentation is built on the ideas published in Weintraub’s book Religions and Extraterrestrial Life: How Will We Deal With It? (2014) — in which he interviewed leaders of all these faiths.

Dr. David A. Weintraub is Professor of Astronomy Emeritus at Vanderbilt University where he founded and directed the Communication of Science and Technology program, and conducted research on the formation of stars and planets. He is the 2015 winner of the Klopsteg Award from the American Association of Physics Teachers, which recognizes the outstanding communication of contemporary physics to the general public and is a 2023 Fellow of the American Astronomical Society. His most recent book is The Sky is for Everyone: Women Astronomers in Their Own Words (2022; with Virginia Trimble). Previous books include Life on Mars: What to Know Before We Go (2018), How Old is the Universe? (2010), and Is Pluto a Planet? (2006). He also created the Who Me? series of inspirational scientific autobiographies for fifth-grade level readers (from World Scientific Publishing), which helps young people see themselves as scientists.

September 29, 2024