BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:The Beginning of All Things: Modern Perspectives from Lemaitre to 
 Hawking - Prof. Paul Shellard\, University of Cambridge
DTSTART:20230516T170000Z
DTEND:20230516T180000Z
UID:TALK198601@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Alice Jackson
DESCRIPTION:On Tuesday 16th May Prof. Paul Shellard will be speaking at Th
 e Faraday Institute for Science and Religion Public Lecture entitled: 'The
  Beginning of All Things: Modern Perspectives from Lemaitre to Hawking'.\n
 \nThe lecture will be held at the Queen’s Building Lecture Hall\, Emmanu
 el College\, Cambridge. All attendees are kindly requested to be seated by
  5:45pm.\n\nhttps://faraday.institute/publiclecture\n\nAbstract\n\nOver th
 e past two decades\, the analysis of satellite maps of the cosmic microwav
 e background radiation has transformed the speculative field of cosmology 
 into a precision science. Despite these advances in understanding the wond
 ers of the expanding Universe (a theory pioneered by Georges Lemaître)\, 
 deep mysteries about the Big Bang remain\, including its apparent beginnin
 g in time (as established by Stephen Hawking). This incomplete knowledge a
 bout our origins remains a strong driver for cosmologists to propose impro
 ved theoretical explanations\, though the leeway is narrowing given a floo
 d of new observations. Quite often\, such alternative proposals are imbued
  with strong metaphysical implications (at least when described to a wider
  popular audience)\, and this is despite weak foundations and a lack of em
 pirical evidence. Two of the greatest cosmologists of the twentieth centur
 y\, Lemaitre and Hawking offered competing Christian and secular perspecti
 ves on this issue\, providing a useful springboard for discussion of more 
 recent developments.\n\nThis event is in partnership with Christians in Sc
 ience.
LOCATION:Healey Room\, Westminster College
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR