One Day University

Who are we? Where do we come from? What are we made of? Where do we fit in the universe? How do we know? These are the timeless questions that have occupied humanity throughout its existence. Professor Gleiser, an astronomer and physicist, has surveyed hundreds of creation myths and found that they tend to share similar traits. And modern science, in fact, is no different. Many creation myths, including Genesis have a finite beginning as does, for example, the Big Bang theory. However, the Hindu religion’s Shiva dance suggests a belief in the eternal universe with no beginning and no end, a belief with links to the early astronomers of Ancient Greece and Babylon. This course explores the common cultural threads about where we come from, while at the same time showing how modern and ancient science intersects with these spiritual beliefs (and always has).