This event is hosted and arranged by William Vine, the Group Organiser for Winchester Cafe Scientifique.

Basingstoke IVC science enthusiasts invite you to this talk on a very interesting subject. The subject of this evenings talk is “Life is simple” delivered by Prof. Johnjoe McFadden.

WinCafeSci is Online, so if you missed a talk or would like to go over some of it again you can watch here on our YouTube channel.

If you would like to support, you can find the virtual PayPal sweetie jar (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/WinCafeSci)

Your participation provides the motivation to continue. Suggestions for future speakers are welcome.

Join the Zoom meeting here:

https://www.wincafesci.org.uk/

We have recently renewed our Zoom subscription for another 12 months. If you would like to contribute, you can find the link to our virtual sweetie jar below. Thanks.

https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/wincafesci

A free Zoom account is great if you want to participate. If that is not for you, you can watch on YouTube Live from your normal browser.

SUMMARY

How Occam’s Razor Set Science Free And Unlocked The Universe

Prof. Johnjoe McFadden's new book, Life is Simple highlights the role of simplicity in science, and in particular its favourite tool, Occam’s razor.  We begin in the turbulent times of the medieval friar, William of Occam, who first articulated the principle that the best answer to any problem is the simplest. This theory, known as Occam’s razor, cut through the thickets of medieval metaphysics to clear a path for modern science. 

In the book, Professor McFadden follows the razor in the hands of the giants of science, from Copernicus, to Kepler, Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Einstein, Rubin and Higgs. Its success suggests that we live in the simplest possible habitable universe and supports the revolutionary theory that our cosmos has evolved. 

SPEAKER
Prof. Johnjoe McFadden graduated with a degree in Biochemistry from Bedford College, University of London and then went to do a Phd on fungal virus genetics working with Ken Buck at Imperial College. He then went on to his first post-doc at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School with Professor Bob Williamson on human genetics.

His work eventually took him on to the University of Surrey where he gained a lectureship in Molecular Microbiology working first on paratuberculosis in cows and humans, then tuberculosis and meningococcal meningitis in humans. His group now specializes in using systems-based approaches to study infectious disease.

We will open the meeting from 7pm so people can settle in, chat etc. There will be a break between talk and Q&A when people can chat etc. It's not the same as live but closer than I thought

A recording will be available after the event on YouTube.

The Winchester Cafe Sci Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/wincafesci/?source_id=1457090591178602 provides an opportunity to share ideas and keep in touch. You are encouraged to post interesting science links and to comment or discuss.