BEYOND is a pioneering center devoted to confronting the really big questions of science and philosophy

Our mission is…

• To bring together scientists and philosophers from all disciplines to brainstorm some of the age-old questions of existence, using the latest ideas and discoveries at the forefront of scientific research.
• To develop new experimental and theoretical research projects that change the way scientists think about foundational questions.
• To bring the excitement and significance of cutting-edge scientific research to the wider public.
• Have you ever wondered…
• How the universe came to exist?
• Where the laws of nature come from?
• How life began?
• Whether or not we are alone in the universe?

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.

Core research themes at the Beyond Center include:

• The origin and end of the universe
• The origin of life
• The search for extraterrestrial life
• Rethinking cancer
• Quantum mechanics and the nature of reality
• Black holes, string theory and quantum gravity
• The arrow of time
• The nature of the laws of physics

The Nature of Complexity

Artist’s interpretation of a lecture by Paul Davies entitled “Taming complexity: opening a new scientific frontier,” delivered at the Future Summit of the Australian Davos Connection in Sydney, Australia, May 12, 2008 (courtesy ADC).