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Is Writing the History of the Impossible Possible?
October 16, 6:00 pm-7:30 pm
FreeCarlos Eire, Ph.D. and T. Lawrason Riggs Professor of History and Religious Studies at Yale University, will present “Is Writing the History of the Impossible Possible?”
If one’s dominant culture considers some events or phenomena totally impossible, especially on scientific grounds, how should one approach eyewitness testimonies from past centuries that speak of such events and phenomena as facts? This lecture will examine this thorny methodological issue through two phenomena that were considered real in the early modern age: levitation (humans who defy the laws of gravity by floating in mid-air) and bilocation (humans who defy the laws of physics by being present in two different locations simultaneously). In addition, this lecture will analyze the role played by such phenomena in the transition to modernity.
The event is free and open to the public. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. A reception with drinks and light hors d’oeuvres will follow the lecture.
For more information, email grace-regnier@utulsa.edu.