“The Shortest History of Reality”

Professor Geraint Lewis FRSN FLSW FAIP
Professor of Astrophysics
School of Physics
University of Sydney

Date: Thursday, 17 September 2026, 6.30–7.30 pm AEST
Venue: RSL Mittagong, Carrington Room
Entry: Members, $5; Non-members, $10 (please note: cashless payments only)
All are welcome

Summary: What is reality? It is one of the oldest and most profound questions in philosophy and science, yet modern discoveries have made the answer more surprising than ever. Drawing on my recently published book, The Shortest History of Reality, this talk traces humanity’s evolving understanding of the universe, from the ideas of the ancient Greeks to Einstein, quantum physics and modern cosmology, revealing how each generation has transformed our picture of what is truly real.

Earth’s oceans are the engine of the global climate system and the source of food and prosperity for over 3 billion people worldwide. At the same time, the global economy relies on the ocean to transport 90% of all traded goods. It is no exaggeration to say that the ocean plays a vital role in humanity’s well-being and prosperity.

In this talk, oceanographer Shane Keating will discuss the importance of the dynamic ocean environment — the ‘weather underwater’ — to the global economy and Earth’s climate system. Travelling from the shores of Loch Long, Scotland, to ‘Eddy Avenue’ off the coast of NSW, Shane will review how our knowledge of Earth’s oceans has been methodically built from observational, experimental, numerical and theoretical studies. Finally, Shane will explore some of the ways that artificial intelligence (AI) and data science are enabling new insights and innovations that are changing the way we understand and use the ocean, and how he is creating a ‘Google Maps for the Sea’ to help the shipping industry save fuel and cut emissions.

Geraint F. Lewis is a professor of astrophysics at the Sydney Institute for Astronomy, part of the University of Sydney’s School of Physics. He has published more than 500 papers across cosmology, galactic archaeology, gravitational lensing and the fundamental nature of the universe, and four books of popular science, including The Cosmic Revolutionary’s Handbook and Where Did the Universe Come From? His latest book, The Shortest History of Reality, is out now.

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