Tonight: 2017 Philosophers Café kicks-off with Provost Greg Davis

Maybe one of your New Year resolutions was to get out more, or find opportunities to chat with folks about different and odd but stimulating topics. Heck, maybe it was to finally unearth the governing dynamics of this brilliant universe of ours. Or maybe it was just to drink more coffee or beer in local establishments where sometimes heated conversations ensue… For any of the above, consider attending the Thursday, Jan.12, 2017 Philosophers Café. Provost Greg Davis will help pose and consider some deeply puzzling and important questions about the reality of mathematics. Do numbers just describe relationships that appear in mathematical structures — the formalists’ view — or are they real, as Plato argued?  Davis will help attendees think about some different number systems, different conceptions of infinity, and the so-called “butterfly effect.” The Café meets Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Hinterland’s Second Floor Lounge (313 Dousman St., Green Bay). All are invited.