Nobel Laureate Roger Penrose and Leading Thinkers Convene at Oxford to Examine the Nature of Reality, Consciousness, and God

OXFORD, United Kingdom, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Where does the universe come from? What is the fundamental nature of reality? What is the true essence of human consciousness?

These questions will take center stage at the Nature of Reality Seminar, a major interdisciplinary gathering sponsored by Palomar Editions taking place Friday, January 23, 2026, at Wolfson College, University of Oxford. Bringing together world-renowned scientists, philosophers, theologians, and public intellectuals, the seminar marks a significant moment in contemporary thought—one in which advances in cosmology, quantum physics, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence are reopening humanity's oldest and most consequential questions.

Among the featured speakers is Nobel Prize–winning physicist Roger Penrose, whose work has reshaped modern cosmology and our understanding of time, entropy, and the origin of the universe, on the problem of entropy regulation at the origin of the Universe. He is joined by mathematician and philosopher John Lennox, known internationally for his writings (Can Science Explain Everything) and public debates on science and belief with atheists including Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens, and neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, whose research explores consciousness and the impact of technology on the brain.

Hosted at Wolfson College, University of Oxford, the seminar reflects a growing recognition that the most profound scientific discoveries of the 21st century demand serious philosophical and theological engagement. Rather than framing science and faith as adversaries, the program explores how rigorous inquiry across disciplines can illuminate deeper truths about reality itself.

"Modern science has given us extraordinary explanatory power," said Olivier Bonnassies, author of God, The Science, The Evidence, and one of the seminar's organizers. "But it also confronts us with questions it cannot answer alone—questions about meaning, consciousness, and why there is something rather than nothing."

The presentations will explore entropy and cosmology, quantum theory and theology, the boundary between physics and metaphysics, the nature of consciousness and the soul, and whether the universe points to purpose or design. Speakers also include philosopher-theologian Emily Qureshi-Hurst; Bishop of Oxford Steven Croft; and authors Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies, whose book God, The Science, The Evidence—was recently named to the Sunday Times bestseller list and has sold more than 450,000 copies worldwide.

At a time when artificial intelligence, cosmology, and neuroscience are reshaping humanity's self-understanding, the Nature of Reality Seminar offers a rare, high-level forum for examining whether science alone can account for existence—or whether it gestures toward realities beyond itself.

EVENT DETAILS
Date: Friday, January 23, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. GMT
Location: Wolfson College, University of Oxford
Format: In-person seminar with lectures and Q&A
Program:

• The Problem of Entropy Regulation at the Origin of the Universe — Roger Penrose
• Consciousness and the Soul — Susan Greenfield
• Why We Are Not Here by Chance — John Lennox
• Modern Science and Ancient Faith — Steven Croft
• Why We Are Not Here By Chance — John Lennox
• Theology of the Quantum World — Emily Qureshi-Hurst
• Truth and Knowledge— Andrew Briggs
• Does a Common Boundary Exist Between Physics and Metaphysics? — Michel-Yves Bolloré
• God and Science: From Adversaries to Allies — Olivier Bonnassies

Learn more: https://www.nature-of-reality.com/

SOURCE Palomar Editions