Alan Lightman

Our bodies are purely material, made of atoms and molecules. So how do complex human experiences—such as consciousness, being connected to nature and to other humans, and the appreciation of beauty—arise from mere atoms and molecules? Drawing on his book The Transcendent Brain and his related public television series SEARCHING, internationally bestselling author and physicist Alan Lightman defines a concept he calls “spiritual materialism,” helping us embrace these experiences without letting go of our scientific worldview.

Illustrating his talk with clips from his public television series, Lightman traces the material atoms in our bodies all the way back to the Big Bang and element production in stars, and discusses Galileo’s discovery that even the heavenly bodies are made out of ordinary material. He explores leading biologists’ attempts to create a living organism from only the chemicals present on primitive earth, and examines the nature of “emergent phenomena”—extraordinary behaviors of some complex phenomena (like human consciousness) that are not evident in their individual parts—and ends with comments on the significance of life in the universe.

Modern science teaches us that everything can be explained in terms of atoms and molecules, including our human experiences. But our material brains are capable of “spiritual” experiences—the feeling of being connected to nature and to other human beings, the feeling of being part of something much larger than ourselves, the appreciation of beauty, and awe, for instance. But internationally renowned novelist and theoretical physicist Alan Lightman says we can embrace both our spiritual and scientific sides through what he calls “spiritual materialism.”

In this talk, based on his book The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science, Lightman gives a nontheist explanation of the origins of spirituality in terms of our evolutionary history and the forces of natural selection. In doing so, he provides a view of spirituality that is completely consistent with science.

Albert Einstein is a household name, but few of us know his story. Author and physicist Alan Lightman has written extensively on Einstein and his work, including his international bestseller Einstein’s Dreams, which has been translated into 30 languages.

In this lecture, Lightman discusses the life of Albert Einstein, using some of the personal letters Einstein himself wrote. He explores Einstein’s spirit of discovery and creativity, and illuminates the legacy of his work and ideas. Lightman then presents the theory of relativity in layman’s terms, with colorful illustrations, prompting us to think about science not as an abstract, faraway concept but as something that touches our lives in every way.

In this talk, renowned author and scientist Alan Lightman brings an incredible new dimension to science by revealing beautiful photographs of extraordinary natural phenomena. Drawing on his book, The Miraculous from the Material, he presents and discusses the color of trees in the fall, the beautiful spiral structure of plants and seashells, sunsets, the amazing color of the mandarin fish, lightning, and the rings of Saturn, to name just a few.

Giving exciting and accessible scientific explanations of each phenomenon, he argues that a scientific understanding of these phenomena does not diminish our awe and wonder. Even though, from a scientific point of view, all of nature (including us human beings!) is made of material atoms and molecules, that material is capable of creating some miraculous phenomena.

In this lecture, Alan Lightman draws on his unique personal experience as both a physicist and a novelist to discuss the similarities and differences in the way that the sciences and the arts approach the world, their different conceptions of truth, their different methodologies, and the similarities in their creative process. For example, all questions in science have definite answers, while questions in the arts (and often the humanities) do not have definite answers—and sometimes no answer at all.

In this talk, Alan Lightman discusses the social, economic, and political obstacles women face in Southeast Asia and various strategies to help advance these women. He draws on fifteen years of his own experience, founding, leading and growing the Harpswell Foundation—an organization which has partnered with the Peace Corps, UN Women, Women’s Alliance for Knowledge Exchange, and other organizations devoted to the advancement of women, to develop and implement programs in critical thinking and leadership training for outstanding young women in the region. Key aspects of the strategy include establishing strong bonds between young women in a supportive living community, confidence building, discussion and analysis of international news to promote critical thinking, strong role models, and a mentorship program.