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Theoretical physicist SEAN CARROLL | THE BIG PICTURE: On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself

Hillside Club
Berkeley, CA

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Acclaimed theoretical physicist Sean Carroll has never been one to shy away from difficult questions. He has taken readers along for a ride across the arrow of time in From Eternity to Here and into the search for the Higgs Boson in The Particle at the End of the Universe. Carroll now tackles his most expansive and comprehensive topic yet.

The Big Picture embarks on a journey of unprecedented scientific scope, examining everything from the matter that makes up the far reaches of our universe to the molecules that make up our DNA. With his unique ability to demonstrate complicated and mind-bending subjects with enjoyable clarity, Carroll explores how human values relate to scientific reality, and more importantly, why it should matter that we understand how our world works.

Carroll considers, among much else, the best explanation for the existence of the universe at the quantum, cosmic, and human levels; why life after death is very unlikely; how human biases keep us from changing our beliefs in the face of inconsistent evidence; and why morality is important, even if it is a human construct.

Ultimately, Carroll demonstrates that while our lives are dwarfed like never before by the immensity of space and time, it is our capacity to comprehend the universe that gives life purpose and meaning.

Sean Carroll, PhD, is a theoretical physicist at the California Institute of Technology. After receiving his doctorate at Harvard, he pursued his research at MIT, the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara, and the University of Chicago. The author of From Eternity to Here, and The Particle at the End of the Universe, he has been awarded prizes and fellowships by the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the Guggenheim Foundation, and has appeared on The Colbert Report and Nova. Who else could explain entropy in a cup of coffee and prove consciousness through a stubbed toe?