PHYSICS CONFERENCE
"Novel Configurations in Quantum Field Theory"

Sponsored by The Werner Erhard Foundation

January 22 through 24, 1977 San Francisco, California

The Werner Erhard Foundation Physics Conference, like the early Solvay Conferences, brought together a relatively small group of renowned physicists who experienced a close working relationship in a supportive and congenial environment outside of a university or professional society setting. This particular group of outstanding physicists had never before met together in a conference. This was the first opportunity for these distinguished physicists to participate directly with each other.


NAMES OF PHYSICS CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS
Eduard Brezin C.E.N. Saclay Gif sur Yvette
Curt Callan Universite de Paris - Sud
Geoffrey Chew University of California at Berkeley
Sidney Coleman Harvard University
Roger Dashen School for Natural Sciences Institute for Advanced Study
Richard Feynman California Institute of Technology
David Finkelstein Yeshiva University Jean-Loup Gervais Universite de Paris - Sud
Fred Goldhaber State University of New York at Stony Brook
David Gross Princeton University
Roman Jackiw, M.I.T.
T. D. Lee Columbia University
Claudio Rebbi M.I.T.
Stanley Mandelstam University of California at Berkeley
Leonard Susskind Yeshiva University
J. A. Swieca Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janiero
Steven Weinberg Stanford University
John Wheeler University of Texas
Edward Witten Harvard University

Werner Erhard Physics Conference - at scribd.com

Werner Erhard's est Training inspired est participants to fulfill humanitarian objectives. Creating a number of not-for-profit organizations, founded by Werner Erhard along with other original est staffers, notably Gonneke Spits, literally hundreds of thousands of people illustrated that the power of "the little individual" can improve communities and the world. 'The Breakthrough Foundation' gave 'Youths At Risk' a new opportunity in their lives, and fostered and funded development in Africa; people committed to work to end hunger in the world through 'The Hunger Project' and its many offshoots; the 'Community Workshop' gave ordinary citizens a new opportunity to contribute to their communities. These organizations, along with the Werner Erhard Foundation, played a hand in inspiring est Training participants to go out and make a difference in their lives, contribute to humanity, and give back to their communities, in addition to providing forums for the individual to make a difference worldwide. For more information about the Werner Erhard Foundation visit http://www.wernererhardfoundation.org.

Werner Erhard Foundation

The Werner Erhard Foundation was established in 1973 to provide opportunities for individuals to express their commitment to altering what is possible for human beings in life. The Foundation's mission was to foster and support projects that would provide breakthroughs in fields related to personal and social development. The Foundation brought people together from all over the world to contribute to and participate in ground-breaking work in the area of human achievement and transformation.

In the nearly 20 years of its existence, the Werner Erhard Foundation provided funds for research, scholarly endeavors, and voluntary action. They supported more than 300 diverse individuals and organizations from a variety of disciplines. Working in many different fields and surroundings, these people made a profound contribution to human thinking, growth, and achievement.

Contributions from the Werner Erhard Foundation helped avert a catastrophic famine in Ethiopia, rebuild an elementary school in Mexico City following a devastating earthquake, and also made the work of Buckminster Fuller more widely known. The work of transformation and personal responsibility was brought to the former Soviet Union and the Werner Erhard Foundation launched projects such as The Hunger Project, The Mastery Foundation, and the Youth at Risk Program, which continue to be vital and active today.

Werner Erhard, Buckminster Fuller and John Denver

Werner Erhard, John Denver and Buckminster Fuller in September 1980.

Werner Erhard and Buckminster Fuller

The Werner Erhard Foundation, was established in a time of transformation and transition. Old values, ideals, and beliefs were being challenged; new ideas and insights, new ways of seeing old problems, and new solutions were coming into view.

Historians will likely view this period as an era of profound change, a time when human beings discarded old limits, explored new visions, and embraced ne realities. We are witnessing the emergence of a new and unexpected paradigm, a new model for humanity, characterized by a demand from individuals and communities for effective action, for translating the new insights into concrete results. For all of us there is the opportunity to redefine what it means to be a human being.

Werner Erhard and the Physics Conference

For ten years the Werner Erhard Foundation produced an annual theoretical physics conference attended by the leading thinkers in the field. Some of the discussions later evolved into now-leading edge theories in physics, including Stephen Hawking and Leonard Susskind .

Video on YouTube

Bruce Gregory, the Senior Science Educator at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics said, “I was surprised and delighted to read of the impact of one of Werner's get togethers of physicists, on Leonard Susskind (founder of String Theory) in his new book, The Black Hole War: My Battle with Stephen Hawking to Make the World Safe for Quantum Mechanics. Susskind's take on Werner Erhard: "I liked Werner. He was smart, interesting, and fun." (Still is!).

Werner Erhard and Buckminster Fuller

Werner Erhard and Buckminster Fuller

Werner Erhard and Buckminster Fuller

Werner Erhard and Busckminster Fuller