10 March 2005

Speaker: Marcelo Gleiser (Dartmouth College)

Title: History of Astronomy Lecture
A Few Lessons from Kepler: The Role of Mytho-Poetic Imagination in Science

Abstract: In this lecture I will explore the importance of "mytho-poetic" imagination in scientific thought using the life and work of Johannes Kepler as an example. I will tell Kepler's story, explore some of the motives and interpretations of his work and actions, and try at the end to establish a link with the more general question of the role of mythic thinking in scientific creativity, focusing on astronomy and physics. The plan is to end discussing some cutting-edge "mytho-poetic" ideas in cosmology such as the concept of megauniverses and cosmoids sprouting out of a quantum vacuum.

Video of the Presentation (Talks can be viewed with RealPlayer. Free download is available from www.real.com )

References for students: