The world’s leading scientists, philosophers and religious scholars are gathering at ASU to solve the riddle of human existence.

In the beginning, there was…  well, that’s what a multidisciplinary collection of scientists and scholars hope to determine with the creation of the new Origins Initiative at Arizona State University. The ambitious undertaking will attempt to sift through science, faith and philosophy to address fundamental and heavily debated questions that teeter on the “edge of human knowledge.”

How did the universe begin? How did life come to be? What is the origin of human uniqueness? Puzzling questions will be posed and collaboratively explored with the ultimate goal of piecing together the mysteries of our past to unlock those of our present and future.

Lawrence Krauss – initiative director, prominent theoretical physicist and Foundation Professor in ASU’s School of Earth and Space Exploration – says such a program is long overdue.

“There’s just an explosion of discovery in different realms of science – in cosmology, evolutionary biology and consciousness,” Krauss says. “Now is the time to do this. There’s been almost nothing like it anywhere.”

The initiative officially launched in April with the inaugural Origins Symposium. The conference boasted moderated panels comprised of Nobel laureates, internationally renowned professors and scientists, and a recorded audio presentation by the great Stephen Hawking – all discussing and debating issues ranging from “biology to nanotechnology, from human institutions to the origin of the universe,” according to the initiative’s Website.

Krauss believes the symposium and initiative have created a platform that will launch ASU to the forefront of scientific scholarship.

The initiative spans several academic disciplines, including applied sciences, social sciences, humanities, engineering, law and journalism.

Visiting scientists and scholars who are world leaders in their respective fields will be brought to the university for the foreseeable future to team with faculty in researching origins issues that have roots in many different fields. One concentration may focus on the origins of disease. Another may explore intelligent life on other planets. The results may be discussed in public forums and lectures.

With a focus on broad-perspective questions, groups will attempt to learn how the techniques of one discipline can be applied to another.

The Origins Initiative also will work within ASU to develop curricula and programs that will become part of the fabric of undergraduate education across the university.

“One of the things we’d like to do is expose every undergraduate at ASU to some deep and fundamental questions,” Krauss says. Future plans also include bringing in full-time faculty with the possibility of creating an undergraduate Origins major.  
Funding for the initiative comes from both ASU and outside sources. Krauss says recent budget cuts passed by the state Legislature make financing such a program a concern and a challenge. As a result, he hopes the majority of the program’s infrastructure will be supported by an endowment. The costs remain undisclosed.  

The initiative will include a heavy public outreach component as well.

“We want the community to realize explicitly that the university is here to enhance their lives and to play a tremendous role in making Phoenix a better place to live,” Krauss says.

He adds that the university is striving to become a leading source of reliable information about origins issues and to stem potential public controversy and misunderstanding. However, he feels that raising controversy, if it raises interest, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

He also anticipates that discoveries will be made over the next decade that will change the scope of science and humanity.

“When we start asking these questions, we’re going to open up issues that we have to be prepared to deal with,” Krauss contends. “I don’t think humanity can put its head in the sand.”