The 20th annual Symposium will be held on Thursday, April 23, 2009.

Die Rolle des Glaubens in der Entwicklung der Quanten- und Astro-Physik (The Role of Belief in the Development of Quantum- and Astro-Physics)
Towsley Lecture Hall/Norris 101, 3:45 PM

Sarah  Julian,   '09 38
   Majors: German, Communication Studies
   Hometown: Clarkston, MI

Sponsor(s): Catherine Grimm
Support:  

Abstract: 
My research examines the lives of Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking, two of the most renowned names in Physics. The parallels I have discovered in the lives of these men are fascinating. Each exhibited unique character traits that, despite the many obstacles they faced, helped them write the theories that shocked the world and changed the way we understand physics. In 1930, Albert Einstein wrote an article entitled “Religion and Science”. This article examined Einstein’s ideas about the development of religion and introduced his belief in the “religiosity” of science as well as his idea that the concept of faith is broader than its religious connotations. Religion and science, he postulated, are not oppositional. With this in mind, I delve into the lives of these great physicists, looking for an understanding of how their faith in themselves and their work developed and how this faith, along with the theories it helped produce, profoundly influenced the development of their fields.

 38