
The University of New Mexico
NEWS RELEASE
June 21, 2006
UNM Professor to Give Lecture on Science and Spirituality
University of New Mexico Distinguished Professor of Physics Nitant Kenkre will give a lecture on science and spirituality, Sunday, June 25, at 5 p.m. at Rio Rancho Middle School. Sponsored by The Hindu Temple Society of New Mexico, the lecture titled, “View on Science and Spirituality from a Practicing Scientist's Porthole,” will discuss the questions of what is science and what is not science among others.
Kenkre recently gave the same talk at an international conference earlier this year in February on science and spirituality in Delhi (India). Kenkre was invited to Delhi to present a scientist's view on spirituality at a gathering of several hundred scientists, philosophers and theologians from countries including India, Russia, the Czech Republic, Germany and the United States. One of the other invited speakers at the conference was the Dalai Lama.
Kenkre will also discuss common meanings we may ascribe to the concept of spirituality and what significance is there to the opinion held by some that science and spirituality are necessarily in conflict. He'll also explore what intellectual dangers lurk in the cavalier identification of certain concepts in science such as in quantum mechanics with similar sounding concepts in the spiritual literature.
An attempt will be made to address these questions, not from the standpoint of the philosopher, but from the viewpoint of one involved in the day-to-day practice of science.
To get to Rio Rancho Middle School take I-25 north to the Alameda exit and turn west. Alameda turns into 528. After crossing the Rio Grande it becomes a north-south road. Cross Southern Blvd and at Northern turn left. Turn right on 40th and the school will be on your right. Coming from the north, take the Bernalillo exit followed by 528 going south. If you go west on Idalia, you will meet 40th or you can again take Northern.
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