Dr. Alan Lightman is one of a select group of thinkers whose work has bridged the gap between art and science. He will give a free public lecture at the University of Memphis Monday at 7 p.m. in the Psychology Auditorium. In discussing “The Physicist as Novelist,” Lightman will compare and contrast how scientists and artists view the world. A book signing will follow. (Books will be available for purchase.)
For more than 20 years, the Memphis-born Lightman taught physics and astronomy at Harvard University. He is now an adjunct professor at MIT, where he teaches in the writing and humanistic studies program.
Lightman has been recognized for his writing by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he has twice been a juror for the Pulitzer Prize in the fiction and nonfiction categories.
He is perhaps best known as the author of a dozen popular books, including the critically acclaimed Einstein’s Dreams.
The international bestseller was selected last year as the first offering for Memphis Reads, the U of M’s common reading program for entering freshmen. Lightman’s latest book, The Discoveries: Great Breakthroughs in 20th Century Science, details the intellectual and emotional landscape of the great scientific discoveries of the last century.
For more information, call Michael Racer at 901-678-3285 or Carolyn Featherstone at 901-678-2512.
