McKelvy House Scholars Invite Campus to Discuss Infinity Sunday

The McKelvy House Scholars invite the campus to join them in a dinner discussion on the concept of infinity April 9.

The meal will begin at 6 p.m. at McKelvy House, 200 High Street. Mathematics majors George Armah ’08 (Accra, Ghana) and Haotian Wu ’07 (Jiangsu, China), who is also majoring in physics, lead the discussion at 6:30 p.m. A curry dish accompanied by a Ghanaian side will be served.

The topic was inspired by a conversation between Armah and Wu on the subject in a mathematics course Armah is taking called Real Analysis.

The scholars state that infinity has inspired numerous musings and contemplations in philosophy, literature, religion, arts and mathematics, but they will begin the discussion with attendees’ personal experiences or understanding of infinity in order to establish a sense of the concept.

Some of the questions Armah and Wu seek to answer are:

• Does infinity exist in physical reality or is it only a concept?
• Can it be argued the human quest for betterment is an infinite (non-terminating) process, which sustains our will to live?
• How may the idea of infinity be used to argue the existence of God?
• In particular, are human wants unlimited?
• If we aren’t going to be able to envision or obtain an infinite collection of things, why bother with the concept?
• Is there any usefulness that can result from the pursuit of this elusive concept?

Additional questions and links to suggested readings for this topic, more information about the McKelvy House Scholars program, as well as downtown Easton businesses, are available on the group’s blog web site.

Since 1962, the McKelvy House Scholars program has brought together Lafayette students with a wide range of majors and interests to reside in a historic off-campus house and share in intellectual and social activities. Weekly Sunday and occasional Wednesday dinner discussions that engage the students in debate and exchange of ideas are the hallmark of the program. Most members also contribute to the annual McKelvy Papers, written on a topic of each person’s choice. McKelvy Scholars participate in activities together such as field trips to plays, concerts, and exhibits, and sponsor events for the campus as well.

Previous discussions:

April 2 – Transhumanism
March 26 – Meaning of Life
March 5 – Fashion as Expression of Identity
Feb.19 – Social Darwinism
Feb.12 – Stereotypes
Feb. 5 – Reading as a Virtue
Jan. 29 — Sexuality
Nov. 20 — Value of Performing Arts
Nov. 13 – Blogging
Nov. 9 – Neoconservatism
Oct. 30 – Christian Right
Oct. 26 – Social Groups
Oct. 23 – The Shape of Things
Oct. 19 – Women in Creating and Sustaining Peace
Oct. 16 – “Slow Food” Movement
Oct. 12 – Hugo Chavez
Oct. 9 – Molecular Nanotechnology
Oct. 5 – Folk Music as Vehicle for Social Change
Sept. 25 – Freedom and Other Remembrance Issues
Sept. 20 – The Powerful Thrust of Language on Civic Arousal
Sept. 14 – Apathy
Sept. 11 – Why Do We Care about One Another?