Origins Institute
Encyclopedia
The Origins Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute based in Hamilton, Ontario
at McMaster University
. It began its operations as an institute on July 1, 2004.
The OI's vision is to promote origins research that help answer fundamental questions in science, such as: "How and why the universe began?", "How did stars, galaxies and planets form?", "What is the origin of matter and of the elements?", "How did life begin on Earth, and can it also develop on other planets?", "What was the nature of the Universal Ancestor, and how did life evolve from it?", and "How did intelligent beings arise and evolve on Earth"?.
The Origins Institute research can be categorized into 6 interconnecting themes, such as: space-time (particle physics), elements and matter (nuclear astrophysics), structure of the universe (astronomy), life (evolutionary biology, astrobiology), species (biodiversity), and humanity (anthropology, psychology).
Professional members within the institute hail from several fields, including astrobiology
, astrophysics
, biology
, chemistry
, biochemistry
, psychology
, mathematics
and anthropology
.
Ralph Pudritz
, an established theoretical astrophysicist from McMaster, spearheaded the OI project and is its first director. Jonathon Stone is a computational biologist from McMaster, and is the institute's associate director. Well-known academics David Deamer, Martin Rees and Stuart Kauffman
sit on the OI advisory council.
Within the next few years, the Origins Institute hopes to establish the first Canadian graduate program devoted to research in astrobiology.
The OI also hosts scientific conferences that address origins themes. Its first meeting, entitled 'Astrobiology and the Origins of Life' was held at McMaster in May 2005. The second, 'The Genomics Revolution and the Origin of Humanity' was held in August 2006, and the third, 'Origins of Dark Energy', organized jointly with the Perimeter Institute, was held in May 2007. A fourth conference, called Darwin's Legacy: Natural Selection as an Organising Principle in Science, will be held at McMaster University from May 25th-29th, in celebration Darwin's 150th anniversary of the "Origin of Species".
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
. It began its operations as an institute on July 1, 2004.
The OI's vision is to promote origins research that help answer fundamental questions in science, such as: "How and why the universe began?", "How did stars, galaxies and planets form?", "What is the origin of matter and of the elements?", "How did life begin on Earth, and can it also develop on other planets?", "What was the nature of the Universal Ancestor, and how did life evolve from it?", and "How did intelligent beings arise and evolve on Earth"?.
The Origins Institute research can be categorized into 6 interconnecting themes, such as: space-time (particle physics), elements and matter (nuclear astrophysics), structure of the universe (astronomy), life (evolutionary biology, astrobiology), species (biodiversity), and humanity (anthropology, psychology).
Professional members within the institute hail from several fields, including astrobiology
Astrobiology
Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This interdisciplinary field encompasses the search for habitable environments in our Solar System and habitable planets outside our Solar System, the search for evidence of prebiotic chemistry,...
, astrophysics
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is the branch of astronomy that deals with the physics of the universe, including the physical properties of celestial objects, as well as their interactions and behavior...
, biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
.
Ralph Pudritz
Ralph Pudritz
Ralph E. Pudritz is a theoretical astrophysicist tenured at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He is an expert in the field of astrophysical jets, particularly those involved in star formation....
, an established theoretical astrophysicist from McMaster, spearheaded the OI project and is its first director. Jonathon Stone is a computational biologist from McMaster, and is the institute's associate director. Well-known academics David Deamer, Martin Rees and Stuart Kauffman
Stuart Kauffman
Stuart Alan Kauffman is an American theoretical biologist and complex systems researcher concerning the origin of life on Earth...
sit on the OI advisory council.
Within the next few years, the Origins Institute hopes to establish the first Canadian graduate program devoted to research in astrobiology.
Outreach and conferences
One of the focuses of the Origins Institute is public outreach, and to that end it promotes an annual season of public lectures and weekly colloquia that draw in top scientists from around the world.The OI also hosts scientific conferences that address origins themes. Its first meeting, entitled 'Astrobiology and the Origins of Life' was held at McMaster in May 2005. The second, 'The Genomics Revolution and the Origin of Humanity' was held in August 2006, and the third, 'Origins of Dark Energy', organized jointly with the Perimeter Institute, was held in May 2007. A fourth conference, called Darwin's Legacy: Natural Selection as an Organising Principle in Science, will be held at McMaster University from May 25th-29th, in celebration Darwin's 150th anniversary of the "Origin of Species".
Undergraduate Research Specialization
The Origins Institute offers a 3 year Specialization for second-year undergraduate students who are registered in a 'home' department at McMaster. Students are selected based on academic achievement and are required to complete a research thesis based on an Origins theme.List of associate directors
- 2004 - present - Jonathon Stone