Skip to main content
Intellect

David Derrick to present annual Summerhays lecture Oct. 7

“Reflections of Science and Religion: Time and Entropy”

Brigham Young University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy will revisit the relationship between the laws of science and the tenets of faith during the annual Summerhays Lecture Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Royden G. Derrick Planetarium, 465 Eyring Science Center.

Presented by businessman and scientific philanthropist David Derrick, “Reflections of Science and Religion: Time and Entropy” explores the relationship entropy has with time and mortality.

Admission is free but advance tickets are required from the Department of Physics and Astronomy, N-283 ESC or (801) 422-4361.

Derrick is an industry leader in personal remote monitoring and is a College Volunteer Leadership Council member in BYU’s College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. He also serves on BYU’s President’s Leadership Council.

An astronomy enthusiast, Derrick has made many contributions to astrophysics research through generous donations. The International Astronomical Union and Smithsonian Institute have named an asteroid after him to honor his efforts. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and an MBA from the University of Utah.

Now in its eighth year, the Summerhays Lecture continues to focus on areas where science and religion intersect and allows scholars of faith to promote their religious views.  The lecture is sponsored by entrepreneur Briant Summerhays and is named for his father, Hyrum, who promoted harmony between science and religion.

For more information, contact J. Ward Moody at jmoody@physics.byu.edu or (801) 422-4347.

Writer: Philip Volmar

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

Improving future crop varieties: New BYU research in Nature decodes oat genetics

October 29, 2025
BYU plant and wildlife professors Rick Jellen and Jeff Maughan, together with an international consortium of researchers, have taken a major step toward unraveling the complexity of the oat genome. Their new research — published today in Nature and Nature Communications — ushers in a new era for oat genetics and breeding.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Why children became useless: Faith and the future of the family

October 28, 2025
Catherine Ruth Pakaluk, a renowned economist and recipient of the Acton Institute's Novak Award, addressed the BYU campus community on Tuesday. She applied her expertise in economics to highlight a shift in the value of having children.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU celebrates 150 years with a scientific twist on a birthday tradition

October 28, 2025
BYU is marking its 150th anniversary with a creative spin on a classic celebration: blowing out birthday candles in BYU style.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=