Parallels and Convergences: Mormon Thought and Engineering Vision (6-7 March)

The Claremont School of Religion, The LDS Council on Mormon Studies and the Mormon Scholars Foundation are pleased to present:

Parallels and Convergences: Mormon Thought and Engineering Vision

A conference featuring keynote speaker Terryl Givens and a panel of LDS engineers

The conference seeks to expand the discussion of Latter-day Saint perspectives on the attributes of God and the potential of man by examining the possible resonance between Mormon and engineering thought. In Mormon thought, God is the architect of the Creation and the engineer of our bodies and spirits. Man, on the other hand, is believed to be capable of growing to become like God. The conference's governing question is: Where does engineering fit in the convergence of these two realms?

A panel of LDS engineers will discuss topics that include materialism, free will, models of spirit matter, quantified morality, spiritual underpinnings for a space program, the New God Argument, God as a perfect engineer, technical interpretation of Mormon physiology, transhumanism, Gaia and the paradisiacal Earth, and technical advancement leading into the millennium.

Keynote Lecture: Friday, 6 March 2009 at 8pm

Conference: Saturday, 7 March 2009 10am-5pm

10:00 Welcome - Richard Bushman

10:10 - 11:50

"God, The Perfect Engineer" Allen W. Leigh, Electrical / Software Engineer & Adjunct Instructor, retired

"Models of Spirit Matter" Adam N. Davis, Assistant Professor of Physics, Wayne State College

"A Technical Interpretation of Mormon Physics and Physiology" Lincoln Cannon (with Scott Howe), President, Mormon Transhumanist Association

"Materialism, Free Will, and Mormonism" Adam N. Davis, Assistant Professor of Physics, Wayne State College

11:50 - 1:00 Lunch

1:00 - 2:50

"Theological Implications of The New God Argument" Joseph West (with Lincoln Cannon), Founding Member, Director and Secretary, Mormon Transhumanist Association

"Quantified Morality" A. Scott Howe, PhD, Senior Systems Engineer, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

"Transfiguration: Parallels and Complements Between Mormonism and Transhumanism" Carl Youngblood, Chief Software Architect, Surgeworks, Inc.

"Gaia, Mormonism, and Paradisiacal Earth" Roger D. Hansen, PhD, Technology Specialist, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

2:50 - 3:10 Break

3:10 - 4:00

"Spiritual Underpinnings for a Space Program" William R. Pickett (with Scott Howe), Senior Hardware Engineer, Antenna Range Master, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory

"Welcome to the 21st Century: The Uncharted Future Ahead" David H. Bailey, Chief Technologist, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

4:00 - 5:00 Panel Discussion

Lecture and Conference Location: Albrecht Auditorium in Stauffer Hall, Claremont Graduate University, 925 North Dartmouth Avenue, Claremont

The conference is free and open to the public.

The official site for the conference is available here: [http://mormonism-engineering.org]