"Patterns in the Void: Why nothing is important."

When we look at the night sky, we see that space is the largest ingredient to the view. Astronomers and physicists tell us that space is far from being empty. It contains mysterious dark energies, and enigmatic particles that come and go invisibly. We are filled with a sense of awe and even fear, each time we think about the dark sky, speckled with pinpoints of starlight. Why is it that when we read a book about this subject, we walk away confused and badly dissappointed? The answer is, in part, that we have only engaged half of our minds in appreciating the meaning of space and Void. This talk will explore the other, human dimension to Nothingness that is beyond simple logic and language, but taps powerful emotional images that have been with us for millennia. We will see the important role that is played in understanding space, by the use of evocative imagery and visual analogues, as well as a variety of patterns found in unusual and rare human experiences. The exploration of the meaning of space is a far richer experience than physics and astronomy might suggest.