2014 Celsius–Linnaeus Lectures: How the universe and life developed
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Exactly how our universe started is still unclear. Recently though, the knowledge boundary has been moved closer to the starting moment using data from the Planck satellite. We are also learning more and more about how Earth, life and us humans have developed and changed.
At this year’s Celsius–Linnaeus Lectures the 13 February, world-leading researchers present new findings about the universe’s development and about human evolution and its implications for our current situation.
In February every year, the Faculty of Science and Technology organises two lectures in memory of Anders Celsius and Carl Linnaeus. The chosen lecturers are scientists whose world-leading research has gained attention in the scientific community and is of great general interest.
This year’s lectures will be held at the Ångström Laboratory and given by Professor George Efstathiou from Cambridge University, UK, and Professor Marlene Zuk from the University of Minnesota, USA. Friday 14 February a multidisciplinary Celsius–Linnaeus symposium will be held on the theme of evolution at the Evolutionary Biology Centre.
The lectures of 13 February will be broadcast online and will also be available to watch after the fact.
Why is our universe so old and so large? Why is it only nearly the same everywhere and in all directions? New measurements of the cosmic microwave background made by the Planck satellite can answer some of these questions and give us knowledge about how the universe developed from the start until about 10-35 seconds’ age. Celsius lecturer George Efstathiou is Professor of Astrophysics and member of the scientific group responsible for launching the European Planck satellite in 2009.
The Linnaeus lecture raises questions such as if our human bodies and brains are adapted to our modern lives. Have we departed too far from our origins? We like to speculate about how life was lived in our species’ infancy to explain what we should eat and how we should live today, but that assumes that we know exactly how our ancestors lived and that we no longer develop, that our evolution has stopped. Marlene Zuk warns about both these incorrect assumptions. There has never been a golden age when humans have been perfectly adapted to their environment and the human species is constantly changing. Marlene Zuk is Professor of Evolutionary Biology and has written several popular books on the subject.
A common theme for the two lectures is evolution, which will be covered also during the Friday’s symposium. Through scientific progress we nowadays have knowledge about the universe’s development from the “big bang”, over the development of galaxies, stars and planetary systems, to the origin of life and evolution on our own planet. Our culture also develops: our language, our technology, our knowledge. The evolutionary idea is today part of many sciences, including ones that may seem to be far from biology. Mathematicians for instance use methods inspired by biological evolution to find the best solutions to really difficult problems. The ideas in the different areas have much in common, but also differ in many ways. During the symposium we will highlight what they have in common, what sets them apart, as well as opportunities and dangers with using ideas from one area in a completely different one.
Time and place: Both lectures will be held in the Siegbahn lecture hall, Ångström Laboratory, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, Uppsala.
Programme 13 February
14.00 Celsius Lecture
The Birth of the Universe
George Efstathiou, Professor of Astrophysics, Cambridge University, UK
15.30 Linnaeus Lecture
Paleofantasy: What Our Evolutionary Past Really Tells Us About Modern Life
Marlene Zuk, Professor of Evolutionary Biology, University of Minnesota, USA
Programme 14 February
9.30–15.30
Principles of Evolution – A multi-disciplinary symposium
Evolution in a wide sense will be presented from many different viewpoints. Apart from the Celsius–Linnaeus lecturers, researchers from Uppsala University and other invited speakers will be participating.
Free admission. All those interested are welcome to take part of the lectures and the symposium – no registration required. All scheduled events will be held in English.