Event details:
Date: March 20th, 2024
Location: Maclaurin Chapel, 18 Princes Street, Auckland
Time: 6.30pm for pizza and 7pm for the lecture.
Abstract:
In recent decades, scientists have uncovered evidence that if the universe had been forged with even slightly different properties, life as we know it – and life as we can imagine it – would be impossible. With small tweaks to the way the universe works, we can erase the periodic table, disintegrate particles and remove all traces of structure in the cosmos. The fine-tuning of the universe for life is a major unsolved problem in the world of physics. I’ll introduce the science, and show how it leads to deep questions about our cosmos.
Bio:
Dr. Luke A. Barnes is a senior lecturer in physics at Western Sydney University, with a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Cambridge. The focus of his research has been the cosmic evolution of matter, galaxy formation and evolution, and on the fine-tuning of the universe for life. He is the coauthor with Prof. Geraint Lewis of “A Fortunate Universe: Life in a Finely-Tuned Cosmos” and “The Cosmic Revolutionary’s Handbook”, published by Cambridge University Press.
