Vienna Summer of Logic 2014 goes public

Despite the internet and social media, conferences such as the Vienna Summer of Logic 2014 (organized jointly by the Technical University Vienna and IST Austria) remain extremely important exchange nodes of scientific information. IST Austria professors Thomas Henzinger and Krishnendu Chatterjee play a central role in the Federated Logic Conference (FLoC) which is part of the VSL 2014. These nodes are often crucial for the further development of the respective field because the most relevant researchers in their field meet in person and exchange their views. Usually, these conferences happen almost or totally unnoticed by the public. With its outreach activities the Vienna Summer of Logic 2014 offers a program for the general public which is a first for a scientific conference of this kind in its density and quantity. The program reinforces the research environment in the Vienna region, especially in the fields of logics and computer science as conducted at IST Austria.

One central part of this unique series is the LogicLounge: a pop-up meeting place for friends of logic from science and the public. During the Vienna Summer of Logic 2014 logicians from the fields of philosophy, mathematics, computer science and artificial intelligence present basic concepts of the “science of reasoning”. Discussing these concepts with their hosts live and in public for exactly an hour from 17.00 to 18.00 on seven dates July 14–23 the scientists offer insights into the millennium old discipline of logic, celebrating the antique concept of the philosophical symposium (from Greek συμπίνειν sympinein, “to drink together”).

Set at the Heuer Coffee Bar Garden Restaurant in the Kunsthalle Wien right on the Karlsplatz within easy reach of the three venues the LogicLounge is the enlightening and entertaining epicenter of the world’s biggest conference on logic. Among the participants are Christos Papadimitrou, Byron Cook, Georg Gottlob and Moshe Vardi.  

For further details and program see http://vsl2014.at/public-events/