UC Santa Cruz alumnus Lawrence Weschler graduated from Cowell College in 1972, where he studied Philosophy and Western Civilization. His new book (above) was just published in January.<\/p>\n
The occasion is a conversation on astrophysics, acoustics, and disciplinary boundaries celebrating Weschlers brand new book, Waves Passing in the Night: Walter Murch in the Land of the Astrophysicists, just published by Bloomsbury, USA. <\/p>\n
The book profiles Murch, a film legend and amateur astrophysicist who is well-known for his work on such classic films as Apocalypse Now, The Godfather trilogy, and The English Patient. <\/p>\n
It focuses on Murchs passion for astrophysics, in particular the rehabilitation of Titius-Bode, a long abandoned 18th century theory regarding the patterns by which planets and moons array themselves in gravitational systems across the universe. <\/p>\n
An amateur scientist investigates oddly musical mysteries in the motion of the planets in this scintillating true-astronomy saga, noted a review by Publishers Weekly. Weschler remains sympathetic to both sides in this debate between an inspired novice and skeptical pros, expanding it into a fascinating lesson on the nature of scientific understanding and the ways people seek it. <\/p>\n
Or as film director Errol Morris described it: An inviting portrait of an admirable and accomplished man. We come to see science as a closed club, science as abstruse and narrow, science as caste. But Weschler allows that it could be the other way around, too--science as protector of truth and progress, science as guardian against kooks. <\/p>\n
What began as an exploration of a 'far out' but relatable idea from a 'far out' but relatable guy has become instead a study of the praxis of science, adds Morris. Weschler leaves us pondering how firmly we know what we think we know. <\/p>\n
Weschler graduated from Cowell College in 1972, where he studied Philosophy and Western Civilization. A critic, journalist, and author, he was a staff writer at the New Yorker for more than 20 years. <\/p>\n
Weschlers books include Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder, for which he was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award; Boggs: A Comedy of Values; and Everything That Rises, which received the 2006 National Book Critics Circle Award for criticism. <\/p>\n
This event is part of the UC Santa Cruz Original Thinkers series and is sponsored by Cowell College, the Institute for Humanities Research, the Film & Digital Media Department and the Astronomy & Astrophysics Department at UC Santa Cruz. <\/p>\n
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Waves Passing in the Night: a talk about astrophysics, harmony, and boundaries - UC Santa Cruz (press release)<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" UC Santa Cruz alumnus Lawrence Weschler graduated from Cowell College in 1972, where he studied Philosophy and Western Civilization. Continue reading