Talk: Envisioning Imagination – Roger Penrose, Carlo Rovelli and Conrad Shawcross with Fatos Ustek

This event takes place at 5pm on Thursday 27 July 2023 (now fully booked).

Imagination is the creative force for artists. But what about mathematicians and scientists? What part does imagination play in their work? What do the artist and the scientist have in common? And how do each envision things that will never be seen?

In this panel discussion two scientists and one artist, all leaders in their field, will provide an answer. They have more in common than you would think.

Nobel-prize winning scientist Roger Penrose is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor in Oxford. Carlo Rovelli is a Professor in the Centre de Physique Théorique de Luminy of Aix-Marseille Université and the author of several popular-science books including 'Seven Brief Lesson on Physics'. Conrad Shawcross is an artist specialising in mechanical sculptures based on philosophical and scientific ideas. His exhibition, 'Cascading Principles' is currently showing in the Mathematical Institute.

The discussion will be chaired by curator and writer Fatos Ustek, curator of the 'Cascading Principles' exhibition.

There will be an opportunity to view the exhibition from 4pm on the day of the lecture.

Please email external-relations@maths.ox.ac.uk to register.

The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures and the Conrad Shawcross Exhibition are generously supported by XTX Markets.

Photo: Richard Ivey