<html><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Dear All,<div><br></div><div>Please find below the announcement of a conference about "Astronomy and Civilization" to be held in Budapest later this year.</div><div><br></div><div>Kind regards,</div><div><br></div><div>Christian</div><div><br></div><div>---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</div><div><br></div><div>Dear Astronet-owner,<br><br>it is a pleasure for me to let you know about our<br>conference "Astronomy and Civilization", an exceptional<br>conference to be held in Budapest, August 10-13, 2009.<br><br>The conference, held to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy<br>2009, is intended as an exceptional, multidisciplinary event on the most<br>challenging questions of science, religion, and philosophy.<br><br>Regarding the financial crisis of this year, it would be highly useful and timely<br>if you could help us to distribute the information about the conference<br>"Astronomy and Civilization", and putting a special emphasis on the<br>relations between astronomy and civilization.<br><br>We think that the only safe ground of our future is the wider<br>and deeper understanding of the Universe.<br>Actually, we have the impression that it needs a serious amount of<br>work enlightening the significance of astronomy for scientists,<br>philosophers, theologians, artists, sociologists, and the wide public.<br><br>It would be much appreciated if you could circulate the enclosed message among<br>the membership of Astronet.<br><br>Event Details:<br>From: 10 Aug 2009<br>To: 13 Aug 2009<br>Country: Hungary<br>More info: Link to event website (<a href="http://www.konkoly.hu/AC2009/">http://www.konkoly.hu/AC2009/</a>)<br><br>Short synopsis of the conference:<br>The conference, held to celebrate the International Year of Astronomy 2009,<br>is intended as an exceptional, multidisciplinary event on the most challenging<br>questions of science, religion, and philosophy. Its motto and central theme can be<br>stated as follows: “The level of knowledge attained in all ages has been determined<br>by the generally accepted theory of the Universe”, as observed by Paul Couderc in<br>Histoire de l'Astronomie, 1960, page 8. The goal of the conference is to call attention<br>to the close relations between astronomy, natural sciences and civilization, first of<br>all to the foundational, active and renewing role of astronomy in the development of<br>our civilization and shaping our future, searching for our cosmic origin and our common<br>heritage which connect all citizens of planet Earth. The only safe ground of our future<br>is the wider and deeper understanding of the Universe. Nowadays, in the era of the consumer<br>society, it is more and more usual to regard astronomy as an uneconomic, superfluous branch<br>of science. This view presents a threatening danger not only to the intellectual and social<br>status of astronomy in modern societies, but also to the future of science and civilization.<br>Astronomical insights and observations have profound implications for the development of science,<br>philosophy, culture and the general conception of the universe. The conference intends to combine<br>plenary sessions on big questions in an inspiring manner with minisymposia on cutting-edge<br>research in physics, astrobiology, complexity sciences, and on the relations between art,<br>religion and astronomy. Therefore, in addition to the plenary talks, a few minisymposia will be<br>held: “Physical Cosmological Models and the Astronomically Observed Universe”; “Complexity,<br>Emergence and Astrobiological Aspects of the Universe”; “Astronomy and High Tech” and<br>“Astronomy, Art and Religion”.<br><br>Your kind feedback would be much appreciated. Thank you!<br><br>Sincerely,<br><br>Attila Grandpierre<br>Co-chair of the SOC of "Astronomy and Civilization" conference<br>Konkoly Observatory<br>of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences<br><a href="http://www.konkoly.hu/AC2009/">http://www.konkoly.hu/AC2009/</a><br></div></body></html>