2012 CBC Massey Lectures with Perimeter Institute's Neil Turok, Now Rolling Out Across Canada

WATERLOO, ON, Oct. 10, 2012 /CNW/ - The 2012 Massey Lectures feature a personal and fascinating work titled The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos by Neil Turok, Director of Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.

The book, public lectures and radio series explore transformative scientific discoveries of the past three centuries - from classical mechanics, to the nature of light, to the bizarre quantum world and the evolution of the cosmos. Each new discovery has, over time, yielded new technologies causing paradigm shifts in the organization of society. Now, Turok argues, we are on the cusp of another major transformation: the coming quantum revolution that will supplant our current digital age.

"In these lectures, I want to talk about our ability to make sense of reality and to conceive of the universe within our minds" says Turok.  "This ability has been a continuous source of powerful ideas, describing everything from the tiniest subatomic particle up to the entire visible cosmos. It has spawned every modern technology, from cellphones to satellites. It is by far and away our most precious possession, and yet it is also completely free to share. If history is anything to go by, the Universe Within us will be the key to our future." 

The 2012 Massey Lecture Tour:

• St John's, Newfoundland on October 10
• Montreal, Quebec on October 12
• Vancouver, British Columbia on October 16
• Calgary, Alberta on October 18
• Toronto, Ontario on October 24

Full details are available at http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/masseyexperience.html, including the playback of a kick-off webcast with CBC's Paul Kennedy of IDEAS in conversation with Neil Turok.  The site also contains background information and a contest with opportunity to visit Perimeter Institute in Ontario and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.

About the Massey Lectures
Over the past fifty years, the prestigious Massey Lectures have become an annual highlight of Canada's national intellectual life. The lectures are intended to present distinguished thinkers as they share original insight on subjects of contemporary interest. Perimeter Institute's Neil Turok joins a notable list of influencers who have given lectures on a broad range of topics, including Martin Luther King Jr., Northrop Frye, John Kenneth Galbraith, Margaret Atwood, Jane Jacobs, Ronald Wright, and many others. The Massey Lectures are produced by a team involving CBC Radio, House of Anansi Press, and Massey College.

SOURCE: Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Lisa Lambert
Manager, External Relations & Public Affairs
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
[email protected]
519.569.7600 x5051