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Speakers to Explore Mysteries of the Cosmos, Downside of Capitalism and Rise of Robots

As a science journalist, I try to raise questions about science and technology, which dominate our era. I try to do the same thing as director of the Center for Science Writings, which I started more than a decade ago here at Stevens. The CSW hosts talks by authors who explore the implications of science, technology and medicine. The speakers include scientists, engineers, philosophers, historians and journalists like me.

Below is information on the three speakers coming this fall. They are going to talk about research into black holes and other cosmic mysteries, the links between capitalism and climate change and, finally, the rise of robots. These talks are all free and open to the public, and they are all in the Babbio Center Auditorium, room 122. I hope to see you there.

Wednesday, September 28. 4-5:30. “Cosmic Revelations.” Priyamvada Natarajan, professor of astronomy and physics at Yale, will discuss her new book Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos. The book reveals how scientists are created an increasingly detailed and dynamic map of the cosmos. They have discovered black holes, dark matter, planets beyond our solar system and even, possibly, other universes. Physicist and bestselling author Brian Greene calls Mapping the Heavens a “delightful tour of the cosmos” that captures “humanity’s passionate drive to discover.”

Wednesday, October 19. 4-5:30. “Is Capitalism Killing Us?” Journalist/activist Naomi Klein will discuss her acclaimed bestseller This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate. Author of the global bestsellers The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, Klein argues that unrestrained capitalism has caused global warming and other threats to humanity. She argues that to save ourselves, and the environment on which we depend, we must rein in corporate power, rebuild local economies and reform our democracies. The New York Times calls This Changes Everything “the most momentous and contentious environmental book since Silent Spring.”

Wednesday, November 16. 4-5:30. “When Robots Rule the Earth.” Economist Robin Hanson of George Mason University and the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University will discuss his new book The Age of Em: Work, Love, and Life When Robots Rule the Earth. Drawing upon his research in computer science and economics, Hanson predicts that science might soon produce robots whose “brains” replicate individual human brains. These emulations, or “ems,” could then be mass-produced, displacing humans from most jobs and causing other radical social disruptions. The Wall Street Journal calls Hanson’s book “not put-downable.”

For more information on the Center for Science Writings, see its website, https://www.stevens.edu/college-arts-and-letters/research/centers-labs/center-for-science-writings.

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