Alan Lightman is Keynote Speaker for 30th Annual Delta Symposium
JONESBORO – The highly acclaimed writer, physicist and social entrepreneur, Alan Lightman, is the keynote speaker at Arkansas State University's 30th annual Delta Symposium.
He will make two presentations during this event. The first will consist of readings from his fiction and creative non-fiction. It will be on the second day of the conference on at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at Bradbury Art Museum in Fowler Center on the A-State campus.
The keynote address will start at 12:30 p.m. Friday, April 11, at the Carl R. Reng Student Union’s auditorium. Admission to all Delta Symposium sessions is free.
The theme of the 30th annual Delta Symposium is “It’s about Time,” and Lightman’s work explores time and other elements of cosmology in ways that blend the sciences with the humanities.
The Delta Symposium is made possible with generous support from Black River Technical College (BRTC). Dr. Martin Eggensperger, president of BRTC, will introduce the keynoter.
"Alan Lightman's work is characterized by its daunting interdisciplinary approach — his exploration of complex scientific thought through the personal lens of literature encourages a welcome wonder about the universe and our place within it," Eggensperger said.
Born in Memphis, Dr. Lightman received his doctoral degree in theoretical physics in 1974. Since then, he has conducted fundamental research on the astrophysics of black holes, astrophysical radiation processes, and stellar dynamics. He is a past chair of the High Energy Division of the American Astronomical Society and is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Lightman has served on the faculties of Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he currently is professor of the practice of the humanities. He was the first person at MIT to receive dual faculty appointments in science and in the humanities.
He is the author of numerous books, both nonfiction and fiction, including “Einstein’s Dreams,” an international bestseller, and “The Diagnosis,” a finalist for the National Book Award in fiction. His essays concern the intersection of science, philosophy and theology and have been twice named by the New York Times as among the best dozen essays of the year, in any category.
In 2005, Lightman founded Harpswell, a nonprofit organization devoted to empowering young women leaders in Southeast Asia, and he has served as chair of its board. He recently hosted the PBS series “Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science.” The series is based on Lightman’s book “Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine” (2018) and his other writings.
His Thursday evening presentation will include selections from his new book, titled “The Miraculous from the Material: The Science Behind Natures Wonders,” as well as selections from his other writings.
The title of his keynote address on Friday is “Einstein and His Theory of Time” during which he will explain elements of Einstein’s theory of time for lay audiences. He will conclude by comparing how humans experience time contrasted to a computer’s “experience” of time with speculations about the perception of time in the future.
His presentation is a highlight of this year’s Delta Symposium, Wednesday through Friday, April 9-11. Most activities will be held at the Reng Student Union on the A-State campus.
The Delta Symposium is sponsored by the Department of English, Philosophy and World Languages and is co-hosted by Black River Technical College. For more information, one may contact symposium co-chair Dr. Gregory Hansen, ghansen@AState.edu, the department. (870) 972-3043, or the website, AState.edu/delta-symposium.
