“Laplace went in state to Napoleon to accept a copy of his work, and the following account of the interview is well authenticated, and so characteristic of all the parties concerned that I quote it in full. Someone had told Napoleon that the book contained no mention of the name of God; Napoleon, who was fond of putting embarrassing questions, received it with the remark, ‘M. Laplace, they tell me you have written this large book on the system of the universe, and have never even mentioned its Creator.’ Laplace, who, though the most supple of politicians, was as stiff as a martyr on every point of his philosophy, drew himself up and answered bluntly, ‘Je n’avais pas besoin de cette hypothèse-là.’ ['I had no need of that hypothesis.'] Napoleon, greatly amused, told this reply to Lagrange, who exclaimed, ‘Ah! c’est une belle hypothèse; ça explique beaucoup de choses.’ ['Ah, it is a fine hypothesis; it explains so many things.']“
October 20, 2008
October 30, 2009
Screen clipping taken: 2009-10-27, 13:38
Screen clipping taken: 2009-10-27, 13:39
Screen clipping taken: 2009-10-27, 13:38
October 27, 2008
October 26, 2008
October 23, 2008
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October 22, 2008
Susan Savage-Rumbaugh: Apes that write, start fires and play Pac-Man
About this talk
Savage-Rumbaugh’s work with bonobo apes, which can understand spoken language and learn tasks by watching, forces the audience to rethink how much of what a species can do is determined by biology — and how much by cultural exposure.
About Susan Savage-Rumbaugh
Susan Savage-Rumbaugh has made startling breakthroughs in her lifelong work with chimpanzees and bonobos, showing the animals to be adept in picking up language and other “intelligent” behaviors. Full bio and more links »
Freeman Dyson: Let’s look for life in the outer solar system
About this talk
Physicist Freeman Dyson suggests that we start looking for life on the moons of Jupiter and out past Neptune, in the Kuiper belt and the Oort cloud. He talks about what such life would be like — and how we might find it.
About Freeman Dyson
With Freeman Dyson’s astonishing forecasts for the future, it’s hard to tell where science ends and science fiction begins. But far from being a wild-eyed visionary, Dyson is a clear and sober
Patricia Burchat: The search for dark energy and dark matter
About this talk
Physicist Patricia Burchat sheds light on two basic ingredients of our universe: dark matter and dark energy. Comprising 96% of the universe between them, they can’t be directly measured, but their influence is immense.
About Patricia Burchat
Patricia Burchat studies the structure and distribution of dark matter and dark energy. These mysterious ingredients can’t be measured in conventional ways, yet form a quarter of the mass of our.
George Dyson: Let’s take a nuclear-powered rocket to Saturn
About this talk
Author George Dyson spins the story of Project Orion, a massive, nuclear-powered spacecraft that could have taken us to Saturn in five years. His insider’s perspective and a secret cache of documents bring an Atomic Age dream to life.
About George Dyson
A historian and philosopher of science, George Dyson takes a clear-eyed and deeply researched view of our recent scientific past — while showing where it may lead us
