On Thursday, May 3, and Friday, May 4, freelance mathematician Jeffrey Weeks will deliver three talks for the Della Pietra Lecture Series at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics (SCGP) at Stony Brook University. The capstone talk of this series, “The Shape of Space,” will be held on Thursday, May 3, at 7 pm in the SCGP Main Auditorium, Room 103. Lectures are free and open to the public.
In “The Shape of Space,” which is geared toward a general audience (middle school through high school students in particular), Weeks will discuss that while the universe may seem infinite — that infinity may be an illusion. During this presentation, he will use computer games to introduce the concept of a multi-connected universe. Interactive 3D graphics and satellite data will also provide tantalizing clues to the true shape of our universe.
On Thursday, May 3, at 2 pm, Weeks will also give a hands-on workshop on “Symmetry: Folding and Unfolding” (participants are welcome to bring iPads though they are not required) and on Friday, May 4, he will present “Visualizing Four Dimensions,” an introductory lesson on visualizing four-dimensional space. Both of these lectures will be held in the SCGP Lecture Hall, Room 102.
Weeks fell in love with geometry in 12th grade when he read the book Flatland. He studied math and physics at Dartmouth College and topology at Princeton University. After teaching at Ithaca College, he resigned to be a full-time dad for several years. With support from a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship and the National Science Foundation, Weeks now works as a freelance mathematician. He is currently studying the topology of the universe and developing educational materials.
The Della Pietra Lecture Series, made possible by a generous donation from brothers Stephen and Vincent Della Pietra, aims to bring world-renowned scientists to the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics to enhance the intellectual activity of the Center and also bring greater awareness of recent and impactful discoveries in physics and mathematics to the Long Island community.
For more information visit www.scgp.stonybrook.edu or call (631) 632-2800.
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