The original conception of the meetings
In 2005, I conceived the idea of organising a meeting that would unite scientists across various disciplines – theoretical and observational astrophysics alongside relativity researchers.
The inspiration came from the informal MODEST gatherings, whose format I considered exemplary.
As their ethos states:
“MODEST is a loosely knit initiative of various groups working in stellar dynamics, stellar evolution, and stellar hydrodynamics.”
I sought to emulate this approach. The initiative appears to have addressed a genuine need, proving remarkably productive.
In essence, “Astro-GR@X” denotes a series of meetings hosted at location X.
These workshops aim to foster connections between theoretical and observational astrophysicists, cosmologists and relativists – both establishing new collaborative relationships and strengthening existing ones.
The Five Golden Rules of Astro-GR
are thus:
- Unite theoretical and observational astrophysicists, cosmologists, and relativists
- Stimulate new collaborations and projects
- Emulate the style of Aspen/ITP/Newton Institute/Modest meetings with ample discussion time
- Provide access to presentation materials in cross-platform formats (e.g. PDF or ODT) and, where feasible, recordings of talks in universally playable formats (e.g. OGG) for absentees – adhering to open access principles (see also the Berlin Declaration)
- Apply the KISS principle (Keep It Simple and… Spontaneous):
it’s informal
it’s informal
(repeat ten times)
recite the Glagolitic alphabet backwards five times
breathe deeply and, achieving zen, reiterate: “it’s (oooom) i-n-f-o-r-m-a-l”… you grasp the concept now, yes?
This informality manifests as:
no registration fees, no poster presentations, no published proceedings.
An illustrative example:
For those unacquainted with Astro-GR meetings, I recommend exploring the linked pages in the menu. The available talk recordings and slides will provide insight into our typical subject matter.