Professor of Physics Emeritus Philip Pearle published a paper titled “Cosmogenesis and Collapse,” in the January edition of the journal Foundations of Physics. The article presents a quantum theory way of creating the universe out of a state of nothingness. 

Pearle was also one of 13 invited speakers at Arizona State University’s Beyond Center “Big Questions” workshop titled “Why Quantum Mechanics” on Dec.12-13. His talk, “Chronogenesis, Cosmogenesis and Collapse,” expanded on “Cosmogenesis and Collapse,” adding a quantum theory way of creating time out of a state of timelessness. Pearle credits Winslow Professor of Classics Carl Rubino for suggesting the appropriate Greek word to describe the creation of time.

Pearle was one of 22 participants – and the only one from a college – at the workshop attended by, among others, a Nobel Laureate, a recent recipient of the National Medal of Science from President Obama, a Knight of the British Empire and the author of the recent Nova series “The Fabric of the Universe.”