*Please distribute to others who may be interested...*
You are hereby invited to the 6th weekly seminar in our seventh interdisciplinary series on Evolution, Complexity and Cognition<http://ecco.vub.ac.be/?q=node/108>(ECCO). *Time*:* Wednesday, Dec, 8th* 14:00-16:00 p.m (note: this year, all seminars take place on Fridays, 14-16 pm, unless announced otherwise) *Place*: Room B 0.036 (building B, level 0, close to the human sciences computer rooms), on the VUB Campus Etterbeek (Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels), in collaboration with MOSI. Coffee available. Free entrance: everybody welcome! ------------------------------ *The ultimate future - Of the Universe, of Computers, and of Humanity* Frank J. Tipler <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_J._Tipler> (Tulane University) *Abstract:* I show that the laws of physics — specifically, (1) quantum mechanics, (2) general relativity, and (3) the Standard Model — require that life expand out from the very few planets on which it first evolves to engulf the entire universe. These same 3 laws will require life to guide the evolution of the universe into a very special form of end state, a final singularity that is a single point in the Penrose c-boundary topology. I term this state “the Omega Point.” I show that necessarily the computer capacity available to life in the universe will increase without limit as the Omega Point is approached, so that humans, downloaded into these computers, will be able to have an infinite number of remembered experiences before the Omega Point is reached, thereby “living forever.” I show that all of above 3 laws are merely special cases of classical mechanics, indicating that we need not fear these laws will be superseded by unknown laws of physics: in spite of our increased knowledge over the past three centuries, we have never left the physics of Newton, which is already a Theory of Everything. If the laws of physics be for us, who can be against us? ------------------------------ *Upcoming Seminars* *Dec 10* Nathalie Gontier <http://vub.academia.edu/NathalieGontier> (CLWF, VUB) *Identifying the units, levels and mechanisms of evolution: an epistemological approach* *Dec. 17* Bertin Marten<http://books.google.be/books?id=r7CbVtlfc0sC&printsec=frontcover&dq=bertin-martens&source=bl&ots=Amuu-Z3p_8&sig=oD4mkFDgiTLlVLJo5xe7zUU2RqU&hl=en&ei=7D7ATKDFLZm8jAe8xMSUCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CC8Q6AEwBw>s (European Commission) *Economic exchange as a cognitive transmission channel in human societies* *Jan 14* Chris Exton <http://www.csis.ul.ie/staff/chrisexton/> (University of Limerick) *Crowd sourcing **Jan 21* Marco Fenici <http://unisi.academia.edu/MarcoFenici> (University of Siena) *Children's Understanding of Others' Minds: Empirical Research and Challenges Ahead* * * More info about the ECCO seminar program: http://ecco.vub.ac.be/?q=node/108
