On October 16 and 17, professors from the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion at the University of Cambridge visited the Universidad Austral to conduct this seminar, alongside Argentine researchers.

The event brought together physicists, engineers, cosmologists, biologists, neuroscientists, philosophers, and theologians in a collaborative effort to bridge the gap between contemporary scientific discoveries and philosophical and theological thinking.

Location: Auditorium of the Degree Building, Pilar Campus.

For inquiries and registration, please contact: filosofia@austral.edu.ar

AGENDA

Thursday, October 16

9:15 AM – Registration

10:00 AM – Opening

10:15 AM – Question 1: What Models are the Best Fit for Interactions Between Science and Theology? Prof. Denis Alexander

Denis Alexander holds a Ph.D. in Neurochemistry from the Institute of Psychiatry (London). He is the Emeritus Director of the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion and a Fellow of St. Edmund’s College (University of Cambridge). He served as the editor of the journal Science & Christian Belief from 1992 to 2013. Currently, he is a member of the National Committee of Christians in Science and the Executive Committee of the International Society for Science and Religion.

 

11:00 AM – Coffee break

11:30 AM – Question 2: What are the Historical Milestones in the Discussions between Science & Religion? – Prof. Miguel de Asúa

Miguel de Asúa holds a Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Buenos Aires, a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Universidad Católica Argentina, a Master’s in History and Philosophy of Science, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Notre Dame. He is a Principal Researcher at CONICET and a Full Professor of History of Science at the Universidad Nacional de San Martín and Philosophy at the Colegio Máximo de San Miguel. He specializes in the history of science in Argentina and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences of Buenos Aires and the National Academy of History.

 

12:15 PM – Discussion

1:00 PM – Lunch

 

3:00 PM – Question 3 (Physics): What Kind of Scientific Reality Appears when the Micro-World of our Universe Is Explained Using the Language of Quantum Field Theory? – Prof. Gustavo Aucar

Gustavo Aucar holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires and completed his post-doctorate at the University of Odense (Denmark). He is a Principal Researcher at CONICET, the Director of the CONICET Scientific and Technological Center – Northeast, and a Full Professor at the Universidad Nacional del Nordeste.

 

3:45 PM – Coffee break

4:15 PM – Question 4 (Cosmology): Is the Universe Designed?  – Prof. Peter Bussey

Peter Bussey obtained a Master’s degree, a Ph.D. in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Science from the University of Cambridge. Before moving to Glasgow in 1971, he conducted research at the University of Cambridge, CERN, and the University of Sheffield. He recently retired as a Physics Professor at the University of Glasgow, where he continues to work as a Researcher at the Institute of Physics.

 

5:30 PM – Discussion

6:15 PM – End of the day

 

Friday, October 17

9:30 AM – Question 5 (Biology): What is the Role of DNA Information for the Development of Living Organisms? – Prof. Jorge Aquino

Jorge Aquino holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences from the Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina) and a Ph.D. in Medicine from the Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm, Sweden). He is an Associate Researcher at CONICET and an Associate Professor at the Universidad Austral. His current research focuses on non-canonical derivatives of the neural crest and the application of mesenchymal stem cells for the experimental treatment of liver cirrhosis.

10:15 AM – Coffee break

 

10:45 AM – Question 6 (Genetics & Theology): How Does Contemporary Genetics Interact With Theological Understandings of Human Identity? Prof. Denis Alexander

11:30 AM – Discussion

12:15 PM – Lunch

 

2:30 PM – Question 7 (Neuroscience): Pain and Plasticity in the Adult Somatosensory System: Challenges and Opportunities. What Can We Gain by Controlling Plasticity in Primary Sensory Neurons? – Prof. Marcelo J. Villa

Marcelo José Villar is a Medical Doctor with a Ph.D. in Medicine from the University of Buenos Aires. He has served as the Dean of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and as the Rector of the Universidad Austral. Currently, he is a Principal Researcher at CONICET, a Full Professor at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of the Universidad Austral, and a member of several national and international scientific associations.

3:15 PM – Question 8 (Robotics): Computational Intelligence and Bioinspired Systems. Could Computers Substitute for Humans in the Future? – Prof. Leonardo Rufiner

Leonardo Rufiner is a Bioengineer with a Master’s in Biomedical Engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos, a Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Buenos Aires. He is an Independent Researcher at CONICET and a Full Professor at the Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos and the Universidad Nacional del Litoral. He leads the Cybernetics Laboratory (UNER) and is part of the Research Center for Signals, Systems, and Computational Intelligence (UNL-CONICET).

 

4:00 PM – Coffee break

 

4:30 PM – Question 9 (Theology): What Does it Mean to be Human? – Prof. Hilary Marlow

Hilary Marlow studied Social Sciences at the University of Manchester, Biblical Studies at King’s College (London), and earned her Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Cambridge. She currently serves as the Director of Programs at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion and is an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge (Faculty of Divinity).

5:15 PM – Discussion

 

6:00 PM – Closing: How do we Approach the Relation between Science, Philosophy & Theology in Today’s World?- Prof. Claudia Vanney

Claudia Vanney holds a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Navarra. She is the Director of the Institute of Philosophy at the Universidad Austral and a Full Professor at the Faculty of Engineering of the same university. She has been a Visiting Professor at the University of Navarra and the University of Oxford.

6:30 PM – End of the program