The Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Religious Perspectives
By Dr. Parandis Tajbakhsh
Modern science provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to examine the prospects of life beyond Earth. One aspect of the “extraterrestrial life debate” is on the possibility of God having created other inhabited worlds, and our position with respect to such beings.
This talk will give a brief historical overview of the debate – including the beliefs of some of the founders of modern physics and astronomy, such as Galileo, Kepler, Newton, and Herschel and their efforts to find life beyond Earth – and will discuss some of the potential religious implications of any extraterrestrial life discovery from an Islamic perspective.
Parandis Tajbakhsh has an MA in Science and Technology Studies from York University, and a PhD in Astrophysics from University of Toronto. Her research interests are: Mathematical Aspects of General Relativity; Extrasolar Planets; Astrobiology; Interaction between Science and Religion; History and Philosophy of Science.
Date: Sunday April 6
Time: 3 pm
Location: Lower Social Room, Noor Cultural Centre
Admission: $5