Beyond Center
A pioneering center devoted to confronting the really big questions of science and philosophy.
About us
Our research projects address such issues, and range from cosmology, through astrobiology to the ultimate fate of humanity. We tackle subjects as diverse as time travel, the colonization of Mars, multiple universes, the nature of complexity and the relationship between mathematics and nature.
Our vision:
- To create new and exciting ideas that push the boundaries of research a bit "beyond"
- To conduct research that transcends traditional subject categories
- To answer foundational questions in science, and explore their philosophical ramifications - what might be called "the big questions"
- To present science to the public as a key component of our culture and of significance to all humanity
In the media
'A Test for Life Versus Non-Life" - The New York Times on Sara Walker's upcoming book
In a new book, physicist Sara Walker argues that assembly theory can explain what life is, and even help scientists create new forms of it.
View source (The New York Times )
announcement web article
Book Review: Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life’s Emergence
What is life and how does one recognize it? asks Walker, an astrobiology professor at Arizona State University, in her bold debut.
View source (Publishers Weekly)
print article web article
Lex Fridman Podcast: Sara Walker- Physics of Life, Time, Complexity, and Aliens
Sara Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist. She is the author of a new book titled "Life as No One Knows It: The Physics of Life's Emergence"
View source (Lex Fridman Podcast)
video
Upcoming Events
2024 Beyond Annual Lecture with Steven Pinker
Marston Theater
Today, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding—and at the same time appears to be losing its mind.