Scientific Research and the Good Life
A Zephyr Salon on the attraction to academic life, particularly in the sciences with Prof. Karl van Bibber (UC Berkeley) for Stanford students and recent alumni
Time & Location
May 04, 2023, 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM PDT
Zephyr Institute, 560 College Ave, Palo Alto, CA 94306, USA
About the Event
This conversation will explore the vocational aspect of an academic career, particularly in the physical sciences. How do people come to commit to a particular intellectual discipline; is it the product of a series of random circumstances, or are we genetically coded to pursue a particular lifelong line of inquiry? Is it purely an individual or social commitment? Finally, what constitutes an academic career well lived and what is its legacy? The speaker will attempt to come to grips with these questions, drawing on his long, but somewhat checkered history with the ivy walls.
This is a backyard salon for current Stanford students and recent alumni.
Light dinner and drinks will be provided.
Please consider donating to Zephyr. Suggested donation for professionals: $100.
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Speaker
Karl van Bibber is Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Executive Associate Dean for the College of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He studies basic and applied nuclear science, particle astrophysics, and accelerator science and technology. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Berkeley Institute.