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Education | Current Lecture Series | Previous Lectures & Classes | Calendar "Exploring the role of physical science in the development of personal worldviews"
Conference InformationPhysical science has acquired a reputation for dehumanizing the world, leaving us stranded and alienated in a universe for which our existence seems irrelevant. Yet, the same science is a powerful tool for understanding the world around us and for gaining new insights that shed light on what our place might actually be in the universe. This will be an opportunity to explore physical science from this perspective, by facilitating a dialog among scientists, educators, and the interested public about the meaning these ideas may have for each of our lives. This inaugural conference on science integration is intended as a community-building function. As a participant, you'll help develop a vision of science within which you can pursue your own search for meaning, in a way that is consistent with a scientifically realistic map of the world. Our aim in this two-day event is to get things started: to bring together a community of people who are struggling to understand what science has to tell us about our place in the universe, and to provide a setting for moving our understanding forward. It is meant to be relatively informal and participation-centered. An important outcome of the discussion Saturday afternoon will be a plan of action for projects that can help in this effort, so your participation will have a real impact on future work. As a starting point, this year's conference will focus on physical sciences. Future events will expand the exploration to other fields of science. We'll center this year's discussion on these questions:
If you 'd like to learn about some of the major developments of science from this perspective, or want to help formulate ways to make these ideas more accessible to the public, please join us and add your voice to the discussion! The formal talks will set the framework for our conversations, and there will be plenty of time for discussion. ScheduleFriday, September 15 (107 Science Building 1) 5:30 - 7:00 pm Open registration/check-in 7:00 - 7:30 pm Todd Duncan
7:30 - 8:30 pm Jack Semura Meaning in an Age of Synthesis: Insights from Studies of Complexity Saturday, September 16 (107 Science Building 1) 9:00 - 10:00 am Amanda Duncan How Does Technology Reflect and Influence Our Worldviews? 10:30 - 11:30 am Kim Coble The Big Picture: A Perspective from Modern Cosmology (11:30 am - 1:00 pm Lunch on your own.) 1:00 - 2:00 pm Daniel Sheehan Insights From Thermodynamics 2:00 - 3:00 pm Claudine Kavanagh & Todd Duncan The Science Education Perspective: Ways to encourage the incorporation of insights from physical science into daily life 3:30 - 5:00 pm
Sunday, September 17 Optional and informal trip to the Oregon coast for games and continued discussion. Information about the PresentersAll of our speakers share a strong interest in science education. Below are some of their other research interests: Dr. Todd Duncan received a Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Chicago in 1997. He is currently president of SII and an assistant professor of science education at Portland State University. His research interests include cosmology and the foundations of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. Dr. Jack Semura is a physicist who studies complex systems. Originally from Hawaii, he obtained his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is a professor of physics at Portland State University. Dr. Amanda Duncan received her Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996. She is currently a senior component design engineer at Intel Corporation. Her research interests include solid state circuits and semiconductor devices. Dr. Kim Coble received her Ph.D. in astrophysics from the University of Chicago in 1999. Her research at UC Santa Barbara is focused on the cosmic microwave background radiation. Dr. D. P. Sheehan is a professor of physics at the University of San Diego. His research interests include plasma physics, fundamental issues in thermodynamics, and solar system formation problems. Claudine Kavanagh, M. S. received her Master's degree in physics education in 2000. She is currently program coordinator for SII. Her current interests include comparative cosmology and the history of astronomy. Accommodations in PortlandIf you're travelling to Portland and need accomodations, we suggest the Portland, Oregon Visitor's Association website to book your accomodations. Portland State University is located in downtown Portland, and is walking distance from several major hotels. The closest to the University is the DAYS INN CITY CENTER , 1414 SW 6th Avenue. They may be reached by telephone at (503) 221-1611, or toll-free (800)-544-8313, or at the Days Inn website. Other Questions?Claudine Kavanagh is the conference coordinator and will be happy to answer any questions you have regarding the conference. Please forward your queries to her. |
