PORT TOWNSEND — Vladi Chaloupka, a professor of both physics and music, will take listeners on a brief — but grand — tour of the universe at 3 p.m. Sunday.
He’ll make stops on the topics of quantum mechanics, the Theory of Relativity and human affairs in his talk, which is the next installment in the Clemente Eclectic Lecture Series.
The program will be at Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2333 San Juan Ave.
Admission at the door Sunday is $15, or $5 for students, while those age 18 and younger are invited to attend free.
“From Bach to Einstein, and Beyond” is the title of this talk by Chaloupka, who teaches at the University of Washington.
No previous knowledge of science or math is needed to enjoy this lecture, according to Lela Hilton, director of the Jefferson Clemente Course, presenter of the lecture series.
The course, based in Port Townsend, provides college-level humanities classes to low-income students across Jefferson County.
New investigations
The professor will discuss how quantum mechanics and the Theory of Relativity opened new doors of scientific investigation — into matters of philosophy and religion.
He’ll then feature some music as he connects his discussion with the life and work of J.S. Bach.
Chaloupka was born in what is now the Czech Republic, when it was under Nazi occupation.
He grew up in the country later dominated by the Soviet Union and in 1968 escaped to Switzerland.
There, he obtained his doctorate in physics from the University of Geneva and worked as a particle physicist at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
California accelerator
In 1975, he moved to the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in California, and in 1981, he came to the University of Washington.
These days, Chaloupka is working on merging his three passions — science, music and human affairs — into one coherent whole.
To find out more about the lecture series and the Jefferson Clemente Course, phone Hilton at 360-732-0007 or visit www.jeffersonclemente.org.
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
