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°×С½ãÂÛ̳ Institute of Origins launched

2 March 2009

Link:

Evolution ucl.ac.uk/origins/" target="_self">°×С½ãÂÛ̳ Institute of Origins

The °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Institute of Origins - exploring the origin and evolution of the universe, and the origin of life - was launched on 27 February 2009, featuring a talk by Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Paul Nurse.

°×С½ãÂÛ̳ President and Provost Professor Malcolm Grant described the institute as a model for how °×С½ãÂÛ̳ is organising its intellectual activity, by drawing together individual pockets of expertise around particular research themes.

Professor Louise Harra, Director of the °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Institute of Origins, introduced its four research themes - neutrino physics, planetary science, galaxy evolution and the mathematical foundations of origins - and described collaboration taking places across a variety of research groups: the °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Astrophysics Group and °×С½ãÂÛ̳ High-Energy Physics, in °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Physics & Astronomy; °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Earth Sciences; °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Mathematics; and the °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Mullard Space Science Laboratory (°×С½ãÂÛ̳ Space & Climate Physics).

She thanked the °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Provost's Strategic Fund for providing support for new researchers and PhD studentships.

2001 Nobel Laureate Sir Paul - who leads the Science Planning Committee of the UK Centre for Medical Research & Innovation (UKCMRI), in which °×С½ãÂÛ̳ is a partner - is President of Rockefeller University and an amateur astronomer. He spoke on 'Curiosity & Science', asserting that curiosity was the motivating factor of the greatest scientists, regardless of whether their research was 'pure' or applied. He said that the power to improve the world came from knowledge acquired through curiosity, and that it was important to support science across the board, not just in those areas perceived as approaching application.

CERN physicist John Ellis, a °×С½ãÂÛ̳ Visiting Professor, spoke on 'Particles & Cosmology', providing a whistlestop tour of what makes up the universe, how we see or sense it, and what remains to be discovered.

To find out more, use the link at the top of this article.