the-BA : Trotta BA Press Release

For immediate release
Thursday 13 September 2007

The question of the fundamental reality of the world we live in underpins the quest for a Theory of Everything. The closer we get to a full understanding, the more the role of human-kind appears to diminish. Dr Roberto Trotta will be talking about the last stage of this process - the Multiverse hypothesis, at the BA Festival of Science on Thursday in the BA Lord Kelvin Award lecture.

Dr Trotta says: ‘The Multiverse hypothesis is the idea that the vast expanse of the visible cosmos could be just a tiny bubble in a much grander structure that contains many other Universes, each one with its own laws of physics.’

Dr Trotta (Oxford University) and his colleague Glenn Starkman (Case Western Reserve University, USA) approach the deep questions of the Universe from a probabilistic point of view, in particular focusing on the role of observers. Traditionally, to measure the likelihood of an existence in a certain Universe, theoretical physicists calculate the number of observers that it contains. This is known as the Anthropic Principle. Rather than counting the number of observers, Dr Trotta counted the total number of observations that could be carried out in a given Universe over its entire lifetime.

Dr Trotta explains: ‘In other words, we were working out the total number of thoughts a civilisation could process over the lifetime of the Universe it lives in.’

They found that the two different methods gave very different answers to the question of how likely it is that we should inhabit a Universe such as the one we observe.

‘Figuring out which counting scheme is the correct one (if any) is of paramount importance if the Multiverse scenario is to explain the laws of physics of our own Universe,' says Dr Trotta. 'Until fundamental advancements are made to clarify the statistical predictions on the theory, it remains impossible to claim that the anthropic principle explains the laws of nature in our Universe.’

Dr Roberto Trotta will give his talk, ‘Does the Universe need humankind? The strange case of observer’s in the cosmos’ on 13 September at Physics PX/001, University of York as part of the BA Festival of Science.

The opportunity to present a popular and prestigious BA award lecture at the Festival of Science is offered to five outstanding communicators each year. The award lectures aim to promote open and informed discussion on issues involving science and actively encourage young scientists to explore the social aspects of their research, providing them with reward and recognition for doing so.

The BA Festival of Science will be in York from 9-15 September, bringing over 350 of the UK’s top scientists and engineers to discuss the latest developments in science with the public. In addition to talks and debates at the University of York, there will be a host of events throughout the city.

For further information about the BA Festival of Science, including an online programme, visit www.the-ba.net/festivalofscience.

This year’s BA Festival of Science is organised by the BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) in partnership with the University of York, Science City York and the City of York Council. It is supported by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), BP and Yorkshire Forward.

ENDS

For further information please contact:
Lisa Hendry, Press Officer, the BA
Tel: 020 7019 4946
Email: lisa.hendry@the-ba.net

Or

Jessica Griggs, Press Assistant, the BA
Tel: 020 7019 4947
Email: jessica.griggs@the-ba.net

Note for editors

1. The BA (British Association for the Advancement of Science) is the UK's nationwide, open membership organisation that exists to advance the public understanding, accessibility and accountability of the sciences and engineering. Established in 1831, the BA organises major initiatives across the UK, including National Science and Engineering Week, the annual BA Festival of Science, programmes of regional and local events, and an extensive programme for young people in schools and colleges. The BA also organises specific activities for the science communication community in the UK through its Science in Society programme. For more information about the BA, please visit www.the-ba.net.

2. Speakers have been asked to submit press papers for their talks, which include a summary of the talk and what is newsworthy about their research. Press papers will be available from late-August at www.the-ba.net/presspapers.

3. To register for access to the press papers or to the Press Centre at the BA Festival of Science, visit www.the-ba.net/pressregister.

4. The BA Festival of Science 2007 is being hosted in York by the University of York, Science City York and the City of York Council.

5. The University of York, founded in 1963, has nearly 12,000 students, 3,000 staff and more than 30 academic departments and research centres. It is one of Britain’s leading research-intensive universities, with a global reputation. The University concentrates on strong viable departments and teaching and research of the highest quality. It is rated sixth out of 172 UK higher education institutions for the quality of its research, with 18 of its 23 departments rated 5 or 5*. Ambitious plans for growth include a projected 50 per cent increase in student numbers, and significant research expansion and spin-out activity. For more information, visit www.york.ac.uk.

6. Science City York is a successful business and skills development initiative, driving the creation and growth of business and employment opportunities across York and North Yorkshire in bioscience, IT & digital and creative technologies. Established in 1998 as a partnership between City of York Council and The University of York, Science City York is supported by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and the Humber. Further information available from www.sciencecityyork.org.uk.

7. City of York Council serves over 180,000 residents, covering an area of 236km2 and providing a wide range of services. The council works with 70 schools across the city to provide high quality education to over 24,000 pupils. The authority employs over 7,000 staff and is York's largest employer. More information about the council and its services is available at www.york.gov.uk.

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