Faculty invited to fall President's Colloquia series starting Wednesday

The President's Colloquia for faculty members are resuming this fall with three opportunities. The first colloquium is 4-6 p.m. Wednesday (Sept. 20) at Westwood.

Hosted by President Mitch Daniels, the colloquia provide opportunities to hear faculty experts discuss their research in presentations specifically for non-experts and include a wine and hors d'oeuvre reception. Registration is required, and faculty will receive via email a link to register online.

On Sept. 20, Erica Carlson, professor of physics and astronomy, will present on the topic of "Reductionism, Emergence, and Freedom: Are We Bound by the Laws of Physics?" Carlson will examine the reductionist paradigm and the unsatisfying implication that we're nothing more than a collection of atoms controlled by our DNA. She'll address the inadequacy of quantum indeterminism, explain emergence and how we know it's real and discuss some of the implications of the emergence paradigm both for scientific progress and also for the larger question of whether human behavior can ever be captured by the laws of nature.

The other Fall 2017 President's Colloquia are:

* Oct. 11 (W) -- Alina Alexeenko, professor of aeronautics and astronautics, and Guillermo Paniagua, professor of mechanical engineering, on "Hyperloop 101: Fundamentals of High-Speed Vacuum Tube Transportation."

* Nov. 14 (Tu) -- James Anderson, professor of medical sociology and professor of health communication, on "Your Health Care May Kill You: Medical Errors."

Writer: Kelsey Schnieders, kschnied@purdue.edu