FIELD TRIP
Order and Disorder: Life, Imagination and the Search for Meaning
A Nobel Conversation at Oxford's Schwarzman Centre
A rare public dialogue between two Nobel Laureates — one a novelist, one a geneticist — asking a question that sits at the heart of contemplative inquiry: how do we find meaning in a world of order and disorder? We're attending as a group, using this as a gathering point around a shared experience worth having together.
Sir Paul Nurse (Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, 2001, President of the Royal Society) and Professor Mo Yan (Nobel Prize in Literature, 2012) bring their respective disciplines into conversation — scientific inquiry and literary imagination as twin modes of understanding human existence. The evening is opened by Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford.
HOW THE EVENING UNFOLDS
4:00 pm We meet outside the Schwarzman Centre
Half an hour to find each other before the doors open. Enter from St Giles'.
4:30 pm Conversation Begins
Sohmen Concert Hall, Schwarzman Centre, Oxford. The event is free and open to the public — register in advance.
After We find somewhere nearby for a drink
The conversation will be worth continuing. We'll gather informally afterwards — details confirmed closer to the date.
PRACTICAL NOTES
Event tickets — Free, register directly through the Schwarzman Centre. Book early.
Contemplative Labs gathering fee — £5, covering coordination and hosting.
Location — Schwarzman Centre, St Giles', Oxford. No parking on site; Park & Ride or walking from central Oxford recommended.
Field Trips are Contemplative Labs gatherings built around a shared experience in the world.