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Commonwealth
2020 Lecture Series: Engaging the Mind
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Trinh
Xuan
Thuan
Professor of Astronomy, University of Virginia
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Buddhism
and Science: Gentle Bridges
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Did the Universe have a beginning? Or is our universe just one in
an infinite number of universes, with a series of Big Bangs and Big
Crunches, without beginning nor end? Is the stunning fine-tuning of
the universe, which has produced just the right conditions for life
to evolve, a sign that a "principle of creation" is at work?
How does the radical interpretation of reality offered by modern physics
conform to or differ from the Buddhist concept of reality? These and
other provocative questions are examined by Astronomy Professor Trinh
Xuan Thuan, co-author of the new book, The Quantum and the Lotus.
In his lecture, Dr. Thuan discusses the remarkable connections between
the teachings of Buddhism and recent findings in science. He notes
that some of Buddhism's views are strikingly similar to modern physics'
theories on quantum mechanics and relativity. Even though Buddhism
and science have different ways of investigating the nature of reality,
they complement rather than oppose each other. The Quantum and the
Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers where Science and Buddhism meet
(Crown Publishers, 2001) will be available for signing by Dr. Thuan
after the lecture. |
 About
Mr. Thuan: Professor
Trinh Xuan Thuan is a native of Hanoi, Vietnam. He obtained his
Bachelor of Sciences in Physics at the California Institute of
Technology (Caltech) in 1970 and his Ph.D in Astrophysics at Princeton
University in 1974. Since 1976 he has been a professor of astronomy
at the University of Virginia. He specializes in the study of
galactic systems beyond the Milky Way and has written nearly 200
articles on the formation of elements in the Big Bang and galaxy
formation and evolution. Professor Trinh Xuan Thuan has written
several books destined for the general public, in particular,
"The Secret Melody" (Oxford University Press, 1994),
"The Birth of the Universe" (Discoveries, H.N. Abrams,
1993) and "Chaos and Harmony" (Oxford University Press,
2000), all best-sellers in France, in which he discusses the profound
changes in world view brought about by modern scientific discoveries.
His latest book, "The Quantum and the Lotus'' (Crown), co-authored
with French Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard, also a best-seller
in France, just appeared in December 2001. In it, Professor Thuan
explores the many remarkable connections between the ancient teachings
of Buddhism and the findings of modern science.
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To
read more about Mr. Thuan's work visit his homepage at http://www.astro.virginia.edu/people/faculty/txt/
and
visit Inside UVa online at http://www.virginia.edu/insideuva/2001/39/trinh.html
Astrophysicist
Trinh Xuan Thuan will appear on "With Good Reason" Saturday night,
April 13, at 8:30 on WMRA-Harrisonburg (103.5 FM) "With Good Reason,"
produced by the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, is broadcast
on 10 public radio stations in Virginia, Tennessee, and Washington.
Each week, scholars from Virginia's public colleges and universities
explore the worlds of literature, science, the arts, politics, history
and business. For complete listings of shows and times visit the
program's Web site at http://www.virginia.edu/vfh/wgr
Xuan's
book, "The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers
Where Science and Buddhism Meet," was mentioned in Sunday's
(2/10) Washington Post's Book World section. The item was headlined:
"FAITH GETS PHYSICAL" by Gregory Moot of the Washington
Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A42639-2002Feb7.html
(page down)
Download
the list of resources for Mr.
Thuan's' lecture in pdf format. You need Adobe
Acrobat reader to view this document.
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