The Gifford Bequest is proud to sponsor free public lectures by Australia鈥檚 best-known scientist and a Professor of Biochemistry at Lehigh University in the United States. They will look discuss from a scientific standpoint evidence for deliberate intelligent design in the universe. The lectures begin on Sunday, May 28th at 3:00 pm in the King鈥檚 College Conference Centre at the University.
Professor Paul Davies has been described as Australia's best-known scientist, and is a popular science writer and Templeton Prize winner. Among his better known works are 鈥淕od and the New Physics鈥� and 鈥淭he Last Three Minutes.鈥� His latest book, 鈥淭he Fifth Miracle鈥�, is about the origin of life and the possibility of life on Mars. In it, he talks about 'Superbugs' that have been found near thermal vents deep underground, and the fact that meteorites from Mars may contain traces of life. He is also interested in the nature of time, high energy particle physics, the foundations of quantum mechanics, and the nature of consciousness. More information about Davies can be found at (www.penguin.co.uk/readme/miracle1/index.html)
Professor Michael Behe is a biochemist at Lehigh University in the United States, and author of the controversial book 鈥淒arwin鈥檚 Black Box鈥�. He has emerged as one of the leading figures in the 鈥淚ntelligent Design鈥� movement. His theory that biochemical systems exhibit 鈥渋rreducible complexity鈥� has proved a flashpoint in creation/evolution controversies. He argues that living systems at the molecular level are best explained as being the result of deliberate intelligent design. More information about Behe can be found at (www.arn.org/behe/behehome.htm).
The lectures are part of the Gifford Bequest International Conference, full information about which can be found at (www.abdn.ac.uk/cpts/gifford.shtml). The conference is sponsored by the Gifford Lectureships Committees of the four ancient Scottish universities. The lectures were established under the will of Adam Lord Gifford, who died in 1887 for the purposes of 鈥減romoting advancing, teaching and diffusing the study of natural theology.鈥� Natural theology is understood broadly as the search for knowledge of God without appeal to revelation.
Since their inception, the lectures have featured an exceptionally strong field of scholars, including William James, Henri Bergson, Alfred North Whitehead, John Dewey, Karl Barth, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Paul Tillich, Hannah Arendt, and Carl Sagan.
The lectures will take place on Sunday, 28th May at 3:15 pm at King鈥檚 College Conference Centre.
Admission to both lectures by free tickets only from Dr Neil Manson at the Department of Philosophy at the University on (01224) 272366.