Philosophical Café Sneek - Stardust is us - Margot Brouwer

As an astronomer, can you still believe in God, and if so, how? Dr. Margot Brouwer grew up in a religious family, but at university he was confronted with a very different world view: an empty, unmerciful universe in which God seems to have no place. In his debut novel 'Stardust is Us' Margot takes the reader along in his lifelong struggle with existential questions. What am I doing here on earth? Who or what am I? Does my life have meaning? And what will happen to me when I eventually die?

Fortunately, Margot is not the first to have thought deeply about this. The philosopher Benedict de Spinoza, spiritual father of the Enlightenment, already worked out four centuries ago how we can find connection, meaning, and even happiness in our oneness with an infinite Universe that he dared to call "God. Especially in our time, this triangular relationship between science, philosophy and meaning can widen our gaze from the madness of everyday life to the unfathomable depths of space and time, and ultimately to who we really are.

Brief biography:
Margot Brewer (who/who) has been romping with questions about life, the universe and everything since childhood. Who studied physics and astronomy at the University of Amsterdam, received her PhD from Leiden University on the subject of dark matter and alternative gravity, and worked as an astronomical researcher at the Universities of Amsterdam and Groningen. Now Margot writes on the intersection of science, philosophy and meaning, makes podcasts and lectures regularly. For more info, see Margo Brouwer's website.