Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA Nov 18th, 2007 The Science of Leonardo with Fritjof Capra. The event is moderated by the Rev. Alan Jones, Dean of Grace Cathedral. Fritjof Capra, the best-selling author of The Tao of Physics, explores the scientific achievements of the great Genius of the Renaissance and evaluates them from the perspective of twenty-first-century scientific thought - Grace Cathedral
Institute of Ideas London, UK Oct 28th, 2007 Battle of Ideas: Particle Physics Is Sexy at the 2007 Battle of Ideas conference hosted by the Institute of Ideas. Panelists include Dr. Brian Cox and Joe Kaplinksy. David Perks moderates. With the closure of so many university physics departments over recent years it would seem the writing is already on the wall. And yet the questions big physics addresses colour everyone's view of the universe we live in. Our fascination with the seeming implausibility of the Big Bang and the quantum theory of matter mean bookshops continue to be filled with biographies of Einstein and lay guides to physics. At a time when theoretical physics seems trapped in speculation about the validity or otherwise of string theory, the LHC experiment gives us the chance to rejuvenate our understanding of the universe from particle physics to cosmology. Will this finally convince the world that particle physics is sexy?
Most of us have no idea what's really going on inside our heads. Yet brain scientists have uncovered details every business leader, parent, and teacher should know--such as the brain's need for physical activity to work at its best. How do we learn? What exactly do sleep and stress do to our brains? Why is multi-tasking a myth? Why is it so easy to forget--and so important to repeat new information? Is it true that men and women have different brains? In Brain Rules, molecular biologist Dr. John Medina shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. In each chapter, he describes a brain rule--what scientists know for sure about how our brains work--and then offers transformative ideas for our daily lives. For more information go to http://www.brainrules.net/.
About this Talk In keeping with the theme of TED2008, professor Stephen Hawking asks some Big Questions about our universe -- How did the universe begin? How did life begin? Are we alone? -- and discusses how we might go about answering them.
Stephen Hawking's scientific investigations have shed light on the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the ultimate fate of universe. His bestselling books for a general audience have given an appreciation of physics to millions. Why you should listen to him: Stephen Hawking is perhaps the world's most famous living physicist. A specialist in cosmology and quantum gravity and a devotee of black holes, his work has probed the origins of the cosmos, the nature of time and the universe's ultimate fate -- earning him accolades including induction into the Order of the British Empire. To the public, he's best known as an author of bestsellers such as The Universe in a Nutshell and A Brief History of Time, which have brought an appreciation of theoretical physics to millions. Though the motor neuron disorder ALS has confined Hawking to a wheelchair, it hasn't stopped him from lecturing widely, making appearances on television shows such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Simpsons -- and planning a trip into orbit with Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic. (He recently experienced weightlessness aboard Zero Gravity Corporation's "Vomit Comet.") A true academic celebrity, he uses his public appearances to raise awareness about potential global disasters -- such as global warming -- and to speak out for the future of humanity: "Getting a portion of the human race permanently off the planet is imperative for our future as a species," he says. Hawking serves as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, where he continues to contribute to both high-level physics and the popular understanding of our universe. "We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe. That makes us something very special." Stephen Hawking
About this Talk While in Asia in 2007, TEDster Paul Koontz got the priceless chance to spend a few days in North Korea. He brought his two kids -- and his camera, capturing both quotidian detail (like the military bearing of a lonely traffic warden) and the grand spectacle leading up to the Mass Games. It's a rare perspective on a culture we know far too little about.
Added: March 31, 2008 Abraham is often described as the common father of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the three traditions that venerate his memory. Noted Harvard Professor of Jewish Studies, Jon D. Levenson argues that Abraham both separates and links the surviving Abrahamic religious communities and does so in interesting ways.
