MATHEMATICIAN AND MACARTHUR FELLOW DR. JEFF WEEKS TO SPEAK AT BARD COLLEGE ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.—On Thursday, September 18, the Distinguished Scientist Lecture Series at Bard College will present Dr. Jeff Weeks, a MacArthur Fellow and a leading researcher and expositor in geometry and cosmology. His presentation on "The Shape of Space," an exploration of the shape of the universe, is free and open to the public and takes place at 7:30 p.m. in Olin Hall on the Bard College campus. Refreshments will be served after the lecture.

Dr. Weeks will begin his presentation with computer games to introduce the concept of a multiconnected universe and then use interactive three-dimensional graphics to take the audience on a tour of several possible shapes for space. He will conclude by showing how satellite data released in February 2003 are beginning to reveal the true shape of our universe. Middle school and high school students and anyone interested in astronomy will enjoy this presentation; the only prerequisites are curiosity and imagination.

Dr. Weeks’s first book, The Shape of Space, geared toward college and advanced high school students, explains how our universe may not be infinite and explores some of its possible shapes. His second book, Exploring the Shape of Space, presents the same ideas in the form of games and activities for students in grades 5–10. Dr. Weeks currently collaborates with cosmologists to determine the shape of the universe using satellite data. Their latest conclusions, set for official release in the October 9 issue of Nature, will be previewed during the presentation.

For more information on the Distinguished Scientist Lecture Series, call 845-758-7581.

This event was last updated on 10-03-2003

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