Professor Paul Davies presents this lecture on; “The Goldilocks Enigma: Why is the universe just right for life?”
Abstract: The Goldilocks Enigma is Paul Davies spectacular and eagerly awaited return to cosmology. Here he tackles all the `big questions` and introduces the latest discoveries that have allowed scientists to piece together the story of the universe in unprecedented detail. And he explains why, despite all this, cosmologists are more divided than ever. Why is everything just right for life on earth? And how have we tried to explain this? How has belief shaped the scientific debate? What do we really know about our place in the universe? Paul Davies decodes the real science and gets to the very heart of our understanding of the universe.
Biography: Professor Paul Davies is a British-born theoretical physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist and best-selling author. He held academic appointments at the Universities of Cambridge, London and Newcastle upon Tyne before moving to Australia in 1990, first as Professor of Mathematical Physics at The University of Adelaide, and later as Professor of Natural Philosophy at Macquarrie University in Sydney, where he helped establish the NASA-affiliated Australian Centre for Astrobiology. In September 2006, he joined Arizona State University as College Professor and Director of a new interdisciplinary research institute called Beyond, devoted to exploring the “big questions” of science and philosophy.In addition to several hundred research papers and articles, Davies has written or co-authored 27 books. Davies was awarded the 2001 Kelvin Medal and Prize by the UK Institute of Physics and the 2002 Faraday Award by The Royal Society. In Australia, he was the recipient of two Eureka Prizes and an Advance Australia award. Davies also received the 1995 Templeton Prize for his work on the deeper meaning of science. The asteroid 1992 OG was renamed (6870) Pauldavies in his honour.
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