I know Ed has already posted a thread on SPES events but I thought this was worth highlighting for our members.

Lawrence Krauss on Cosmic Connections

Sunday 16 October 2011, 11.30am

Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Holborn.



"Every atom in your body came from a star that exploded. And, the atoms in your left hand probably came from a different star than your right hand. It really is the most poetic thing I know about physics: You are all stardust.You couldn’t be here if stars hadn’t exploded, because the elements - the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, all the things that matter for evolution and for life - weren’t created at the beginning of time. They were created in the nuclear furnaces of stars, and the only way for them to get into your body is if those stars were kind enough to explode. So, forget Jesus. The stars died so that you could be here today."

- Lawrence M Krauss



Lawrence M Krauss has been described as the "Woody Allen of Physics" by Richard Dawkins, and a "rare scientific public intellectual" by American Scientific. He has advised President Obama on Science Policy and he runs an institute which researches the beginning and the end of existence.



Who better to take to our The School of Life pulpit to offer some Sunday morning enlightenment? Lawrence will offer a surprising, thought-provoking and entertaining lesson on what the universe can teach us about ourselves.



Tickets cost £12.50


For further information and to book tickets, please click here http://www.theschoolo...

Here's his lecture (A Universe from Nothing) from 2009 introduced by Richard Dawkins.

"So, forget Jesus. The stars died so that you could be here today"

One of my favourite quotes.

Thanks for the reminder Dod, I have just booked my ticket. I hope you (and anyone else from the group who will be attending) will be up for some Sunday lunch in the pub afterwards.

See you on 16 October.

John

Will tickets be available on the door? I remember being "in the room" for the above talk, best of the conference!

Thanks for that posting Dod. I thought I didn't have time to listen to it all but found myself gripped. Although I feel a little bent out of shape, I'm sure it'll pass.

Now will someone sent it to Bill O'Reilly? New thread following.

Harriet at The School of Life just informed me that Lawrence Krauss was on Radio 4 yesterday and can be heard here (go to 15 mins 39 secs for the relevant section of the programme).

I hope to see some of you on Sunday.

The "sermon" yesterday was excellent, even better than I was expecting. We even got to sing a couple of "hymns". The event was being filmed and when I spoke to Harriet afterwards she said that the video will be available soon on their website. I will keep a look out and post a link here when it appears.

It was also great to meet and chat to Prof Krauss afterwards, and to buy and have signed his biography of Richard Feynman "Quantum Man". I told him how much I loved his talk "A Universe from Nothing" and he told me that he is releasing a book of the same name next year (out 10 Jan 2012). When I also said that I enjoyed his discussion with Richard Dawkins, he just said "Yes, Richard and I talk often".

You can probably tell that I am still a bit "starstruck", but better to be starstruck by a scientist who is making real and tangible advances in human knowledge than by some so-called "celebrity" I have just seen on TV

Dammit!!

My turn to be jealous! Sadly I was still too jet lagged to be up on time to go!

I hope you'll be linking to the recording when it's out!

Rich,

I was surprised you weren't there on Sunday, but I wasn't sure when you were coming back from Texas. Harriet has now told me that the video should be available around next Monday on The School of Life Vimeo Channel.

I finally found it. Enjoy!

Thank you John for the link for The School of Life (great music intro). :-)