Professor Hanoch Gutfreund answers questions after his highly entertaining lecture on Albert Einstein.

How does physics relate to life, the human brain and the emergence of complexity? Does physics give a causally incomplete description of what happens in the real world? Do the laws of nature change in time? Could they even be different in different parts of the Universe? What can we learn from Einstein’s intellectual property, literary estate and personal papers?

During 2005, public discussions of these and many other fascinating questions were held in the School of Physics to appreciative audiences. The Keith Burrows lecture theatre (capacity 440) was nearly filled by members of the public on three occasions and these lectures also received considerable media coverage.

The lectures given were: “Physics and the Real World” by Professor George Ellis (Distinguished Professor of Complex Systems, University of Cape Town); “Albert Einstein: The Man and the Scientist” by Hanoch Gutfreund (Andre Aisenstadt Chair in Theoretical Physics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem); and “Faster Than The Speed of Light” by Joao Magueijo (Reader in Physics, Imperial College, London).

The success of these lectures, manifest in the size and enthusiasm of the audiences, shows that the wider community is genuinely interested in what we do, and willing to invest time in learning about our work.

Wilfred Walsh