A February 18, 2025 Perimeter Institute notice (received via email) announces both the event and the ticket free-for-all preceding it for in-person attendance at The Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Canada, Note: The date of the event itself is Thursday, February 27, 2025,
Unexpected Simplicity
with Patchen Barss
Thursday, February 27 [2025] at 7:00 pm ET
Scientists working at the frontiers of theoretical physics are often required to push their imaginations into realms far beyond everyday experience and intuition. How does one imagine what the universe looks like to a photon, diagram the internal structure of a black hole, or explain how our universe came to exist in the first place? Drawing on his acclaimed recent biography of British Mathematical physicist Roger Penrose, The Impossible Man [full title: The Impossible Man: Roger Penrose and the Cost of Genius, 2024], journalist and author Patchen Barss explores the sources of scientific inspiration, paths to creativity, and creation of new ideas that continue to revolutionize our understanding and appreciation of physical reality.
Don’t miss out! Free tickets to attend this event in person will become available on Wednesday, February 19 [2025], at 9 am ET.
If you didn’t get tickets for the lecture, not to worry – you can always catch the livestream on our website or watch it on YouTube after the fact.
I have more details from the event registration page,
Location
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
31 Caroline Street North Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5Agenda
6:00 p.m.
Doors Open
Perimeter’s main floor Atrium will be open for ticket holders, with researchers available to answer science questions until the talk begins.
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Public Talk
The talk will begin at 7:00pm, offering a live stream for virtual attendees. This will include a full presentation in the Theatre as well as a Q&A session.
8:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Post-Public Talk
After the talk, head to the Atrium to mingle with other attendees and meet the speaker.
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About the Speaker
Patchen Barss is a Toronto-based science journalist, author, and speaker. His biography, The Impossible Man: Roger Penrose and the Cost of Genius, was named one of the top science and technology books for 2024 by Kirkus Reviews, The Financial Times, and The Telegraph. The New York Times said, “This biography depicts Sir Roger in multiple dimensions; only a writer as psychologically astute as Barss could show us an impossible man in full.”
Barss was the 2021-2022 Sloan Biography Fellow at CUNY’s [City University of New York] Graduate Center.
He has contributed to Nautilus Magazine, Scientific American, the BBC, and The Walrus, as well as the National Post, Toronto Star, and Montreal Gazette. He has been a producer at CBC Television and the Discovery Channel, and is the former Head of Research and Development for the documentary film company CineNova, and is a former Director of Communications at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research.
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Enjoy—in-person or online!