This interactive, interdisciplinary workshop will tell the story of how a Non-Euclidean Geometry was created in the 19th century, “out of nothing.” This breakthrough had huge influence in many areas of knowledge, from Philosophy, to the Arts, to the Physical Sciences.
Using interactive activities, we will get familiar with new ways of seeing distance and shapes.
We will explore in more detail how the new Geometry influenced work in the Arts, literature and fiction, and how it is the basis of some fundamental discoveries in Physics, such as Relativity.
There will be a chance to engage, in an informal way, with some abstract mathematical concepts.
The workshop will end with a panel discussion about how we communicate Science to non-experts.
A group of experts will guide our journey:
- Prof Jeremy Gray (University of Warwick and Open University), expert in History of Mathematics
- Dr Mairi Walker (University of Edinburgh), Mathematics engagement officer
- Prof Robert Lambourne (Open University), Professor of Educational Physics
- Prof Hugo Parlier (University of Fribourg), researcher in Geometry and Topology and creator of Mathema
The workshop is open to all Warwick students and staff, and to all members of the wider University community. No prior knowledge of Mathematics is required.
Registration is free, and dinner will be provided after the event. The workshop is funded by IATL and IAS (Warwick Institute of Advanced Study).
When: Wednesday 16 November 2016, 13:00-18:00 (time to be confirmed)
Where: Room A1-01 (Zeeman building, University of Warwick)
For more information contact Francesca Iezzi at F.Iezzi@warwick.ac.uk
#BrumSciComm 