Science vs. Spirituality

Physicist and best-selling author Alan Lightman meditates on the limitations of scientific knowledge in his newly published book, Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine. He gently wades into the controversial metaland of spirituality. Are there certain experiences that are truly inexplicable? Is there a limit to what can be explained by ever more detailed measurements of the world around us, of subatomic particles and of galaxies? Or is spirituality nothing more than a harmful self-deception?

Edward Hall, professor of philosophy at Harvard, joins Alan Lightman and moderator Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in exploring whether and where science ends and spirituality begins.

Edward Hall is a professor of philosophy at Harvard, focused on questions such as whether there are fundamental laws of nature. His latest book is The Philosophy of Science: Metaphysical and Epistemological Foundations.

Alan Lightman is a physicist, Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at MIT, and bestselling author of Einstein’s Dreams and the newly published Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine.

Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, science scholar at Pioneer Works, adjunct professor at NYU, and founder and CEO of the conservation consultancy Ocean Collectiv.

Join us after the conversation for star gazing with the Amateur Astronomers Association of New York in the garden.

The Science Studios at Pioneer Works are supported by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science.