Beyond Center
A pioneering center devoted to confronting the really big questions of science and philosophy.
The Beyond Annual Lecture
Friday, February 7, 2025 at 7pm MST
The Beyond Annual Lecture is our premier public event of the year. We ask a scientist or philosopher of international standing to offer a reflective account of their work and interests, and invite them to speculate a little bit "beyond" their normal comfort zone. This year, we are excited to welcome Professor Steven Pinker to give the lecture!
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
Call for Applications: Melanie Brose Archelon Fellowship 2025
Call for Applications: Melanie Brose Archelon Fellowship 2025
The Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University is pleased
announcement
'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
Upcoming Events
2025 Beyond Annual Lecture with Steven Pinker
February 7, 2025
Marston Theater
The Beyond Annual Lecture is our premier public event of the year.
February 2025 Thinking Beyond - Before the Big Bang
February 24, 2025
Zoom Webinar
The “Thinking Beyond” webinar series features renowned physicists Paul Davies, Sara Walker and Maulik Parikh from the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University a
February 2025 Thinking Beyond - Before the Big Bang
February 24, 2025
Zoom Webinar
The “Thinking Beyond” webinar series features renowned physicists Paul Davies, Sara Walker and Maulik Parikh from the Beyond Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science at Arizona State University a