World Science Festival

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he World Science Festival opened in New York City in late May showcasing 46 shows, debates, and demonstrations spread over five days. Over 120,000 people attended the events distributed in venues between Harlem and Greenwich Village, and organized by the talented and energetic pair, Dr. Brian Greene, the Columbia physicist and author, and his wife, Tracy Day, a former ABC-TV producer. The events were well produced, which led to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike.
The New York Times praised the World Science Festival as “a new cultural institution” and noted that the Foundation-sponsored discussion of “What it Means to be Human” was “the panel that everyone wanted to be on.” The Festival received extensive media coverage, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek, Scientific American, Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, BBC World Service, and The Colbert Report.
Working with Dr. Charles Harper, Jr., Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategist for the John Templeton Foundation, the Festival featured five specially-organized Foundation sponsored debates and programs:

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN
Drawing on a range of disciplines, this provocative program looked at how discoveries in areas like fundamental physics, anthropology, and genomics are influencing our understanding of uniquely human characteristics. As science increasingly tests these boundaries - from the roots of morality and our capacity to contemplate our own existence to the emergence of artificial intelligence - what will it mean to be human?
The event was moderated by Charlie Rose.

ECHOES FROM THE BEGINNING: A JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE AND TIME
In what many call a “golden age of cosmology,” astronomers can now observe the universe with unprecedented precision, resulting in spectacular progress in the search for the origin of the universe. Yet, for all the impressive progress, fundamental questions remain. What is the mysterious “dark energy” driving space to rapidly expand? What existed before the big bang? Is there an origin of time? Do we live in a multiverse?
Science Friday’s Ira Flatow led the conversation with leading cosmologists Lawrence Krauss, Paul Steinhardt, and Lyman Page, and historian of science Helge Kragh as they discussed and debated new advances that are shaping our understanding of the cosmic order and our place within it.

INVISIBLE REALITY: THE WONDERFUL WEIRDNESS OF THE QUANTUM WORLD
Proposed a century ago to better explain the mind-bending behavior of the smallest constituents of the universe, quantum theory has implications far beyond the atom. This rich set of laws has applications both practical and extraordinary - from the technology that’s revolutionized modern life to the possibility of parallel worlds.
Alan Alda accompanied Brian Greene, Nobel Laureate William Phillips and other leading thinkers at the vanguard of quantum research on an accessible multimedia exploration of the astounding weirdness of the quantum world.

FAITH & SCIENCE
Prominent clashes—both historical and contemporary—have exploded around the intersection of science and religion. Yet, many scientists practice a traditional faith, having found a way to accommodate both scientific inquiry and religious teaching in their belief system. Other scientists are bringing science to bear on the phenomenon of religion and spiritual belief—neuroscientists are studying what happens in the brain during religious experiences, while anthropologists are investigating how religion is linked to cooperation and community. This program was an intimate look at what scientists had to say about their religious beliefs and what might be revealed by scientific studies of spirituality.

BEYOND EINSTEIN: IN SEARCH OF THE ULTIMATE EXPLANATION
Albert Einstein spent his last thirty years unsuccessfully searching for a ‘unified theory’—a single master principle to describe everything in the universe, from tiny subatomic particles to immense clusters of galaxies. In the decades since, generations of researchers have continued working toward Einstein’s dream.
Renowned physicists Leonard Susskind and Jim Gates, and prominent historian Peter Galison discussed what’s been achieved and tackled pivotal questions. Would a unified theory reveal why there is a universe at all? Would it tell us why mathematics is adept at unraveling nature’s mysteries? Might it imply we are one universe of many, and what would that mean for our sense of how we fit into the cosmos? The discussion was moderated by Nobel Laureate Paul Nurse.


“What it Means to be Human” Participants “Echoes from the Beginning” Participants “Invisible Reality” Participants “Faith & Science” Participants “Beyond Einstein” Participants	he World Science Festival opened in New York City in late May showcasing 46 shows, debates, and demonstrations spread over five days. Over 120,000 people attended the events distributed in venues between Harlem and Greenwich Village, and organized by the talented and energetic pair, Dr. Brian Greene, the Columbia physicist and author, and his wife, Tracy Day, a former ABC-TV producer. The events were well produced, which led to rave reviews from critics and audiences alike. The New York Times praised the World Science Festival as “a new cultural institution” and noted that the Foundation-sponsored discussion of “What it Means to be Human” was “the panel that everyone wanted to be on.” The Festival received extensive media coverage, including the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Newsweek, Scientific American, Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, BBC World Service, and The Colbert Report. Working with Dr. Charles Harper, Jr., Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategist for the John Templeton Foundation, the Festival featured five specially-organized Foundation sponsored debates and programs: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN Drawing on a range of disciplines, this provocative program looked at how discoveries in areas like fundamental physics, anthropology, and genomics are influencing our understanding of uniquely human characteristics. As science increasingly tests these boundaries - from the roots of morality and our capacity to contemplate our own existence to the emergence of artificial intelligence - what will it mean to be human? The event was moderated by Charlie Rose. ECHOES FROM THE BEGINNING: A JOURNEY THROUGH SPACE AND TIME In what many call a “golden age of cosmology,” astronomers can now observe the universe with unprecedented precision, resulting in spectacular progress in the search for the origin of the universe. Yet, for all the impressive progress, fundamental questions remain. What is the mysterious “dark energy” driving space to rapidly expand? What existed before the big bang? Is there an origin of time? Do we live in a multiverse? Science Friday’s Ira Flatow led the conversation with leading cosmologists Lawrence Krauss, Paul Steinhardt, and Lyman Page, and historian of science Helge Kragh as they discussed and debated new advances that are shaping our understanding of the cosmic order and our place within it. INVISIBLE REALITY: THE WONDERFUL WEIRDNESS OF THE QUANTUM WORLD Proposed a century ago to better explain the mind-bending behavior of the smallest constituents of the universe, quantum theory has implications far beyond the atom. This rich set of laws has applications both practical and extraordinary - from the technology that’s revolutionized modern life to the possibility of parallel worlds. Alan Alda accompanied Brian Greene, Nobel Laureate William Phillips and other leading thinkers at the vanguard of quantum research on an accessible multimedia exploration of the astounding weirdness of the quantum world. FAITH & SCIENCE Prominent clashes—both historical and contemporary—have exploded around the intersection of science and religion. Yet, many scientists practice a traditional faith, having found a way to accommodate both scientific inquiry and religious teaching in their belief system. Other scientists are bringing science to bear on the phenomenon of religion and spiritual belief—neuroscientists are studying what happens in the brain during religious experiences, while anthropologists are investigating how religion is linked to cooperation and community. This program was an intimate look at what scientists had to say about their religious beliefs and what might be revealed by scientific studies of spirituality. BEYOND EINSTEIN: IN SEARCH OF THE ULTIMATE EXPLANATION Albert Einstein spent his last thirty years unsuccessfully searching for a ‘unified theory’—a single master principle to describe everything in the universe, from tiny subatomic particles to immense clusters of galaxies. In the decades since, generations of researchers have continued working toward Einstein’s dream. Renowned physicists Leonard Susskind and Jim Gates, and prominent historian Peter Galison discussed what’s been achieved and tackled pivotal questions. Would a unified theory reveal why there is a universe at all? Would it tell us why mathematics is adept at unraveling nature’s mysteries? Might it imply we are one universe of many, and what would that mean for our sense of how we fit into the cosmos? The discussion was moderated by Nobel Laureate Paul Nurse.