World Science Festival 2017 — Videos of panel discussions with some of the world's leading scientists
Quantum Reality: Space, Time, and Entanglement
MODERATOR: Brian Greene
PARTICIPANTS : Mark Van Raamsdonk, Gerard 't Hooft, David Wallace, K. Birgitta Whaley
Ninety years after the historic double-slit experiment, the quantum revolution shows no sign of slowing. Join a vibrant conversation with renowned leaders in theoretical physics, quantum computation, and philosophical foundations, focused on how quantum physics continues to impact understanding on issues profound and practical, from the edge of black holes and the fibers of spacetime to teleportation and the future of computers.
Streamed live on Jun 2, 2017 (1 hr 36 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qQ8r-_NdZo
Pondering the Imponderables: The Biggest Questions of Cosmology
MODERATOR: Jim Holt
PARTICIPANTS : David Z. Albert, George F. R. Ellis, Alan Guth, Veronika Hubeny, Andrei Linde, Barry Loewer
Physicists and cosmologists are closing in on how the universe operates at its very core. But even with powerful telescopes and particle accelerators pushed nearly to their limits, experimenters struggle to keep up as theoreticians march forward, leaving grand theories untested. Is our universe unique or one of many? What was there before the Big Bang? Why is there something rather than nothing? Some argue that if these deep questions can't be confirmed empirically, they're not relevant to science. Are they right? Join world-leading cosmologists, philosophers and physicists as they tackle the profound questions of existence.
Streamed live on Jun 3, 2017 (1 hr 30 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er7qPv8jsZo&index=3&list=PLKy-B3Qf_RDU65d5Er9ZffHFqwf_FoV7L
Computational Creativity: AI and the Art of Ingenuity
MODERATOR: John Schaefer
PARTICIPANTS : Sougwen Chung, Jesse Engel, Peter Ulric Tse, Lav Varshney
Today, there are robots that make art, move like dancers, tell stories, and even help human chefs devise unique recipes. But is there ingenuity in silico? Can computers be creative? A rare treat for the senses, this thought-provoking event brings together artists and computer scientists who are creating original works with the help of artificially intelligent machines. Joined by leading experts in psychology and neuroscience, they'll explore the roots of creativity in humans and computers, what artificial creativity reveals about human imagination, and the future of hybrid systems that build on the capabilities of both.
Streamed live on May 31, 2017 (1 hr 30 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDfbjAxAqDo&index=4&list=PLKy-B3Qf_RDU65d5Er9ZffHFqwf_FoV7L
Forever Young: The Promise of Human Regeneration
MODERATOR: Emily Senay
PARTICIPANTS : Dany Spencer Adams, Stephen Badylak, Doris Taylor
Synthetic blood mass-produced to meet supply shortages. Livers and kidneys "bioprinted" on demand. Missing fingers and toes re-grown with a jolt of bioelectricity. Regenerative medicine promises to do more than just treat disease, injuries, or congenital conditions. It holds the potential to rejuvenate, heal, or completely replace damaged tissue and organs. If successful, regenerative medicine will have immense impact on how we care for the injured, sick, and aging — and how we think about death. This program will explore mind-boggling medical advances as well as the societal and economic implications of a future in which everybody may truly be forever young.
Streamed live on Jun 1, 2017 (1 hr 27 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpirEv3PRvA&list=PLKy-B3Qf_RDU65d5Er9ZffHFqwf_FoV7L&index=6
The Social Synapse: Neuroscience and the roots of human connections
MODERATOR: John Donvan
PARTICIPANTS : Louise Barrett, Agustín Fuentes, Kevin Laland, Kevin Ochsner, Dietrich Stout
We humans work together on enormous scales, build complex tools as large as cities, and create social networks that span the globe. What is the key to this innately social profile? How did it evolve? This program will examine the development of the human brain — and the brains of other animals — asking how neurons and synapses orchestrate communal behavior and guide group interactions, demonstrating how our social nature is key to our humanity.
Streamed live on Jun 2, 2017 (1 hr 28 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EWVHqmIT50&list=PLKy-B3Qf_RDU65d5Er9ZffHFqwf_FoV7L&index=7
Much Ado About Nearly Nothing: Nanotech and the Future of Energy
MODERATOR: Walter Isaacson
PARTICIPANTS : Sanjoy Banerjee, Yury Gogotsi, Patricia Holden, Paul Weiss
The biggest challenge of our time, meeting the energy demands of an exploding population on a warming planet, may well be met by manipulating matter on the tiniest of scales — revolutionizing how we power the planet. Join world-class nanoscientists and environmental leaders to explore how the capacity to harness molecules and atoms is accelerating spectacular inventions — including light-weight "wonder materials," vital energy-storage technologies, and new sources of renewable energy — which promise to redefine the very future of energy.
Streamed live on Jun 3, 2017 (1 hr 31 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKIy7aF7_AA&index=10&list=PLKy-B3Qf_RDU65d5Er9ZffHFqwf_FoV7L
Flame Challenge: What is Energy?
MODERATOR: Alan Alda
PARTICIPANTS : Eddie Goldstein, Herman Pontzer, Lynn Trahey
Alan Alda has issued this year's challenge to the world's top scientists: What is energy? In an action-packed hour of interactive demonstrations, Alan and a team of experts invite the audience to explore how our bodies use energy, the impact of natural resources, and how we're going to power the world in the future. The program also highlights the winners of the 2017 Flame Challenge, in which video and written explanations of energy were judged for clarity's sake — by 20,000 eleven year-olds.
Streamed live on Jun 3, 2017 (1 hr 10 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lk5ufBY0dbE&index=9&list=PLKy-B3Qf_RDU65d5Er9ZffHFqwf_FoV7L
Science in a Polarized World: A Global Town Hall Meeting
MODERATOR: John Donvan
PARTICIPANTS : France Córdova, Brian Greene, Dan Kahan, Paul Nurse
Our age is marked by the proliferation of information, and yet we can't agree. Science is supposed to be neutral, and yet it has generated some of the deepest societal divides. Why? Our response to scientific information depends on psychology, emotion, peer pressure, politics, and cultural influences. How can we navigate these differences and implement smart policy in a contentious society? Join a vibrant and important discussion examining the interface between the scientific process and the sometimes unscientific public, as we hurtleg headlong into an uncertain future.
Streamed live on Jun 3, 2017 (1 hr 32 min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJtWvj9K7lQ&index=5&list=PLKy-B3Qf_RDU65d5Er9ZffHFqwf_FoV7L