Seminars

Astronomy Seminar 1

At first glance, the cosmology described in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa may appear to be a mythical narration. Thompson helps demystify the account while simultaneously examining complementary treatises such as the Sūrya-siddhānta, which offer complex details of empirically verifiable astronomical data from a geocentric perspective. He illustrates how the accounts offered in both the Sūrya-siddhānta and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam mirror one another, albeit using different frames of reference.

Vedic Cosmology Seminar 3

Thompson’s third lecture on Vedic cosmology continues the discussion of potential connections between Purāṇic descriptions of Bhū-maṇḍala, and a concept of the earth as a globe. The nature of space and time, redshift analysis, the dynamics of lunar travel, along with a variety of paranormal phenomena, are all considered to help bridge the gap between apparently conflicting frames of reference.

Vedic Cosmology Seminar 2

The second lecture of the Vedic cosmology series examines the structural details of Bhū-maṇḍala. Whereas modern astronomy seeks confirmation through testable empirical models, Thompson suggests that the sages described in the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam rather regarded the totality of the universe as inconceivable, and thus cannot be restricted to so-called natural methodology. This suggests they recognized that a meaningful cosmic analysis, out of necessity, would exceed the standard limitations of human empiricism.

Vedic Cosmology Seminar 1

In this first presentation of a three-part lecture series on Vedic cosmology, Thompson explains that the apparent conflict between the Purāṇic descriptions of Bhū-maṇḍala as a cosmic earth disc, and an allegedly modern concept of the earth as a globe, does not represent a philosophical conflict of East versus West, or modern versus traditional. Thompson argues that since traditional accounts describe both, they clearly refer to different aspects of human perception.

Higher Dimensional Science

Thompson reviews the central arguments of the BBT magazine, Origins: Higher Dimensions in Science, in the conclusion to this series of lectures. He considers how both the second law of thermodynamics and information theory present challenges for introducing complexity into a closed system. Thompson proposes that analyses that include an ultimate principle more sophisticated than mechanistic reductionism could offer a superior comprehensive analysis.

Natural History and Paleontology II

Vedic accounts offer descriptions of sentient beings exhibiting human consciousness present at the beginning of the cosmic creation billions of years ago. While Thompson acknowledges the conflict between this view and presently accepted scientific theory, he also wonders to what extent socio-cultural intellectual “knowledge filters” could influence modern analyses.

Natural History and Paleontology I

Thompson discusses Puranic origin accounts involving cyclic processes of cosmic creation. He takes note of the vast time periods essential to these accounts, and compares them to the similarly lengthy epochs of contemporary paleontological analyses.

Evolution III: Origin of Species

Thompson considers a number of challenges presently facing neo-Darwinian theory as a comprehensive explanation of speciation. Taking into account examples from the fossil record that suggest evidential shortcomings of inter-species “missing links,” coupled with as yet unspecified evolutionary mechanisms involving numerous critical systems, Thompson suggests the possibility that aspects of the theory could be influenced more by faith, rather than hard science.

Evolution II: Complexity of Biological Systems

The extreme complexity and interdependency of biological systems can sometimes sideline explanatory mechanisms of evolutionary theory to the realm of vagueness. Thompson wonders if the practitioners of the exact sciences such as physics, would tolerate some of the “just so” stories that certain theorists can appear to utilize promoting authoritative historical analyses.

Evolution I: Can Life Arise from Chemicals?

Influenced by Newtonian inspired analyses popularized during the Enlightenment, contemporary psychologists tend to reduce consciousness to brain cell activity, which microbiologists in turn appraise in terms of chemicals, which chemists explain utilizing physics. And physicists, influenced by quantum theory, are more recently considering certain material interactions in terms of consciousness. With this apparent vicious circle in mind, Thompson examines the mechanistic approach that has deeply influenced modern science.

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