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Prof. Zee will speak about symmetry and the search for order and beauty in our fundamental understanding of nature. The presentation will be based on his book Fearful Symmetry and will be addressed to a general audience.
Fearful Symmetry (Princeton University Press: http://theory.itp.ucsb.edu/~zee/fearful.html): what the reviewers said -
"Conveys the religious beliefs of theoretical physicists with far more accuracy than Fritjof Capra did in The Tao of Physics ... The first popular book to specifically focus on the search for beauty in physics, and it has no competitor." -- The New York Times Book Review
"The number of books devoted to explaining the new physics to us laymen has grown into a torrent in recent years. Indeed, the 1980s marked a golden age in popular scientific writing, of which Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time ... is only the most famous. Perhaps none has succeeded better than A. Zee, who, in his first book Fearful Symmetry, established a reputation for clear and understandable explanation mixed with abundant (and sometimes corny) good humor."--Kansas City Star
"Excellent ... done with such infectious enthusiasm that one can't help but smile." -- The Scientist
"To a layman like myself, totally unversed in modern theoretical physics, Zee's book comes as an illumination. Once having grasped the idea of symmetry as an aesthetic and intellectual principle, I found myself, under his guidance, contemplating aspects of the design of the universe of which I never had the faintest glimmer."--John Rupert Martin, Marquand Professor of Art and Archaeology, Princeton University
Date: 11/17/2005, 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Cost: Free
Open to the Public
Location: Science Building Room Auditorium
Sponsored by: Physics Program
For more information, please contact Prof. Geoff Dougherty via email or at (805) 437-8990.
