25th International Interdisciplinary Seminar
Evolution, Humankind, Artificial Intelligence
The Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (Zürich and Geneva),
and Netherhall House (London)
ACADEMIC PROGRAM 2023-1
Thursday, January 5th, 2023
Academic sessions and tutorials in Netherhall House, London (10.00 – 18.00 h.)
Evolution: scientific, philosophical, and theological aspects.
10.00 Welcome Address.
Alex Jordan (Netherhall House, Director):
Opening Note.
Antoine Suarez (IIS, Zürich and Geneva).
10.15 Video of the Panel discussion with Robin Dunbar at IIS-2022-2 (May 6th, 2022) Selected passages (1:35:44; 1:40).
10.45 Would religion matter for social cohesion, if God did not exist?
Jean-David Ponci (IIS, Zürich and Geneva).
Discussion.
11.30 Coffee Break.
12.00 The puzzle of the human origin.
Alfred Driessen (emeritus, University of Twente).
Discussion.
13.15 Buffet lunch.
14. 30 Diluvial Re-Creation in the Neolithic.
Theo Mckeever (University of Manchester).
Discussion.
15.15 Can the “frustration of creation” and death be considered a “retroactive effect” of the first sin?
Antoine Suarez (IIS, Zürich and Geneva).
Discussion.
16.00 Coffee Break.
16.30 The moral relevance of the Judeo-Christian teaching that humans are created in the image and likeness of God.
Fr Michael Nazir-Ali.
Discussion.
17.00 Panel.
17.30 End of sessions.
Friday, January 6th, 2023
(Visit to Cambridge had to be canceled because of train strikes)
Academic sessions and tutorials in Netherhall House, London (10.00 – 18.00 h.).
Artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and the future of humankind.
10.15 How the EPR controversy led to the discovery of quantum entanglement.
Renzo Lam, (University of Oxford).
10.45 Defining the Qubit: The basis of Quantum Information Technology.
Mark Fox (University of Sheffield).
11.15 Discussion
11.30 Coffee Break.
12.00 The march of the Qubit – from arcane academia to Geo-Political force.
Ben Criger and Ilyas Khan (Cambridge Quantum).
12.30 Discussion
13.15 Buffet lunch.
14.30 Can AI achieve Empathy?
Florian Gahbauer (University of Latvia, Riga).
Discussion.
15.00 Transhumanism and Trasumanar (Dante, Par I,70).
Vincenzo Affinita (PUSC, Rome).
Discussion.
15.45 High-Frequency Trading: opportunities and risks in the usage of Artificial Intelligence in the financial markets.
Matteo Lovo (University of Pisa).
Discussion
16.30 Coffee break
17.00 How will Quantum Technologies affect Society – and should we care about the ethics of such impact?
Ilyas Khan (Cambridge Quantum).
Discussion
17.30 Concluding Remarks. End of sessions.
Saturday, January 7th, 2023
Academic sessions and tutorials in Netherhall House, London (10.00 – 18.00 h.).
Science: God’s new ally?
10.00 Introduction.
Antoine Suarez (IIS, Zürich and Geneva).
10.15 The point coincident argument of Einstein and the unmoved mover.
Alfred Driessen (emeritus, University of Twente)
Discussion
10.45 Can the beginning of the Universe be considered evidence of a Creator God?
Michel-Yves Bolloré (coauthor of «Dieu, la science, les preuves», Paris and London).
Discussion
11.45 Coffee Break.
12.15 Quantum miracle narratives.
Antoine Suarez (IIS, Zürich and Geneva)
Discussion
13.15 Buffet Lunch
End of the Conference.
The presentations can be accessed through this link: [Folder]
Academic Program: [Download pdf]
Leaflet of the Conference: [Download pdf]