Mike Treder will be liveblogging this conference
May 9, 2009 • 8:00 AM - 6:30 PM
The New York Academy of Sciences, 7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich St. at Barclay St., 40th fl.
Keynote Speakers: Edward O. Wilson, The Honorable John Porter, Dean Kamen
Website
A full-day symposium sponsored by: Science & the City, ScienceDebate2008, Science Communication Consortium
At the 50th anniversary of C.P. Snow’s famous Rede Lecture on the importance to society of building a bridge between the sciences and humanities, this day-long symposium brings together leading scholars, scientists, politicians, authors, and representatives of the media to explore the persistence of the Two Cultures gap and how it can be overcome. More than 20 speakers will cover topics including science in politics, education, film and media, and science citizenship.
For complete registration and pricing information please click here or scroll to the bottom of the schedule.
Symposium Schedule
8:00 Sign in & Continental Breakfast
9:00 Welcome & Morning Keynote
E.O. Wilson, Harvard University
Biologist and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, and author of Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge, discusses his classic treatise on bringing the sciences and humanities together.
10:30 Cultural History
The Two Cultures in Historical Perspective, from Aristotle to “Science Wars” and the “Third Culture”
In this session, noted scholars and writers examine the intellectual trends that have carried us to the present moment. Beginning with a survey of academic and disciplinary divides up to and through the scientific revolution of the 17th and 18th centuries, it includes an introduction to the historical milieu in which C.P. Snow wrote and spoke, and what motivated him to do so.
Moderator
D. Graham Burnett, Professor of History, Princeton University
Panelists
Ann Blair, Henry Charles Lea Professor of History, Harvard University
Lawrence Krauss, Foundation Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University
Kenneth Miller, Professor of Biology, Brown University
11:30 Science Communication 101
How to More Effectively Communicate Science Issues to the Public
The “two cultures” divide has often been understood as a rift between science and the humanities. But in truth, C.P. Snow’s interest was to bring an appreciation of science into politics, policymaking, and international affairs. Read today, Snow’s lecture points not to one rift—between science and the literary sphere—but rather to many. What role can the media play in amending these miscommunications?
Moderator (invited)
Corey Powell, Editor-in-Chief, Discover
Panelists
Paula Apsell, Producer, executive producer of NOVA and director of the WGBH Science Unit
Ira Flatow, Executive Producer & Host, NPR’s Science Friday
Jonah Lehrer, Author, Proust Was a Neuroscientist
12:45 Lunch & Luncheon Keynote
John Porter
The Honorable John Edward Porter is chair of Research!America’s board of directors and a partner in Hogan & Hartson’s Washington, DC, law office. Previously, he served 21 years as a congressman from the 10th district in Illinois. In Congress he was chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations; and vice-chair of the Subcommittee on Military Construction.
2:00 Political Science
Restoring Science to Its Rightful Place in Politics
Moderator
Chris Mooney, Co-author, Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future
Panelists
Matthew Chapman, Screenwriter, Runaway Jury, and great-great grandson of Charles Darwin
Shawn Otto, Co-founder and CEO, Science Debate 2008
Darlene Cavalier, Founder, ScienceCheerleader.com
3:00 Education & Citizenship
A Better Future through Science Citizenship
When it came to addressing the divide between the “two cultures,” C.P. Snow was unequivocal: The only ultimate solution, he said, lies in education. How does that lesson hold up today? This panel examines the scientific education of our next generation of citizens.
Moderator
Sheril Kirshenbaum, Co-author, Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future
Panelists
Ann Druyan, Co-founder and CEO, Cosmos Studios
Adrienne Klein, Co-Director, Science & the Arts, The Graduate Center of The City University of New York
Stuart Pimm, Doris Duke Professor of Conservation Ecology, Duke University
Carl Zimmer, Author and Science Essayist
4:30 Concluding Keynote
Dean Kamen, Founder, DEKA
Dean Kamen, famed for inventing the Segway, is an entrepreneur and inventor of numerous technologies designed to improve lives. He was awarded the National Medal of Technology by President Clinton, and he is the founder of FIRST, an organization dedicated to motivating the next generation of leaders to understand, use, and enjoy science and technology.
5:15 Closing Reception
Organizing Committee
Chris Mooney, Author, The Republican War on Science, and co-author, Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future
Sheril Kirshenbaum, Co-author, Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens Our Future
Matthew Chapman, Screenwriter, Runaway Jury, and great-great grandson of Charles Darwin
Shawn Otto, Co-founder and CEO, Science Debate 2008
Kate Seip, Sciences Communications Consortium
Adrienne Burke, Executive Editor, New York Academy of Sciences
Pricing & Registration
All symposium tickets include attendance at the full day of panel discussions and keynote lectures, as well as a continental breakfast, seated lunch, and a post-event reception.
Early Bird Prices
(available before April 1)
Students $65
NYAS Members $100
Nonmembers $200 (includes an Academy membership)
Regular Pricing
(for tickets purchased April 1 or later)
Students $85
NYAS Members $125
Nonmembers $225 (includes an Academy membership)
(To learn more about what is included in an Academy membership, click here.)
Limited Number of Special Patron Tickets Available!
We have a limited number of tickets available to attend a private pre-event breakfast with two-time Pulitzer Prize winning biologist E.O. Wilson or a post-event dinner with Segway inventor and entrepreneur Dean Kamen. You can also purchase a ticket to attend both of these exclusive events. Patrons will also receive reserved seating at all panel discussion and keynote lectures throughout the day.
Patron Pricing:
$500 for breakfast OR dinner
$650 for breakfast AND dinner
For patron tickets, please contact Kiryn Haslinger at 212.298.8673 or by email at khaslinger@nyas.org.
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