Isacoff's lecture, "The Scientific Foundations of Beauty," begins at 6:30 p.m., and is free and open to the public.
The talk will show that beauty in music, art and architecture was inextricably linked to what great thinkers from the time of the early Greeks on through most of Western history considered the laws of the universe. While contemporary culture regards taste in matters of art and music as a matter of individual preference, Isacoff points out that very revolutionary change in the arts has coincided with a shift in the understanding of nature's rules and of man's place in the great cosmic scheme. And he will show that these shifts are often accompanied by the emergence of new scientific tools that propel artists even further down their boundary-breaking paths.
Isacoff's visit to the science museum is in conjunction with two other talks in Los Alamos. On Thursday, Nov. 3, he will present "The Science of Music, The Music of Science" at 3:45 p.m., in the Physics Building Auditorium at Technical Area 3 And the following evening, Isacoff will speak on "Temperament: How Music Became a Battleground for the Great Minds of Western Civilization," at 7:30 p.m., in Fuller Lodge in downtown Los Alamos.
The Bradbury Science Museum is located at 15th Street and Central Avenue in downtown Los Alamos. Museum hours apart from special events are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m., Sunday and Monday.
The Bradbury Science Museum is part of Los Alamos' Public Affairs Office.
For more information, contact Pat Berger at 665-0896.
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, and Washington Group International for the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration.
Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.