noncommutative@newton

At the moment a Noncommutative Geometry Programme is being organized at the Newton Institute. This half year programme started with a workshop on Noncommutative Geometry and Cyclic Cohomology at the beginning of august. This week they’ll be running their second workshop Noncommutative Geometry and Physics: Fundamental Structure of Space and Time including a speculative evening session The Nature of Space and Time: An Evening of Speculation where

A distinguished panel of mathematicians, physicists, theologians and philosophers will explore the nature of space and time from a personal perspective. What do science and philosophical theology have to say to each other about space and time? Is time a continuum? Can the nature of time be separated from the nature of existence and from the human condition? There will be short presentations from each panel member followed by a wide-ranging discussion led by questions from the audience. This is expected to be a lively event fully accessible to the wider public.

Perhaps the most interesting workshop, from a ringtheorist’s point of view, is the closing workshop Trends in Noncommutative Geometry to be organized in December. Oh, I see that the closing date for applications has already passed… Still, for the rest of us, we can follow this programme from the luxury (?!) of our home using the Newton Web-Seminar page which includes the slides and a full audio of the lectures. Last night I sat through Iain Gordon’s talk and there are more talks I intend to upload to my iPod.