Imagination & Possibility: A Conversation with Lee Smolin, Jaron Lanier, & Madhur Anand

• Lee Smolin, theoretical physicist and philosopher at the Perimeter Institute
• Jaron Lanier, scientist, musician, visual artist and author
• Madhur Anand, poet & ecologist, University of Guelph

Imaginative thinking is central to the practice of every person working in the scientific, creative and humanistic fields and disciplines—in every aspect of human endeavour. Philosopher Roberto Mangabeira Unger wrote that the “imagination is the scout of the will, anticipating how we might get to the there—or to different theres—from here.” This conversation between a theoretical physicist, a technology pioneer and musician, and a literary writer will explore the role of the imagination in their diverse practices. How does this capacity enable them to see and to reveal new possibilities for the world?

This conversation was presented and hosted by the President’s Office of the University of Guelph.