New York, NY (PRWEB) April 25, 2012
The 2012 World Science Festival (worldsciencefestival.com) returns to New York City for its fifth anniversary season, May 30th to June 3rd, 2012 with more than 50 extraordinary events, performances and exhibitions designed to make the esoteric understandable and the familiar fascinating.
The Festival brings together many of the worlds leading scientific minds with renowned artists and influential thinkers to illuminate science in novel and exciting ways, breaking down barriers and connecting leading scientists to a broader public. Since its inception, the annual Festival has attracted more than 600,000 people to 200 programs in locations throughout New York City. It is the nations most anticipated science event and allows everyone kids and adults, novice and enthusiast to experience science in a unique and thrilling way.
The 2012 World Science Festival opens with the stunning multi-media performance piece Icarus at the Edge of Time, at the United Palace Theatre on May 30th, featuring an original orchestral score by Philip Glass, a film directed by innovative cutting-edge British filmmakers Al+Al, and a script adapted by author, physicist and string theorist Brian Greene and Tony-Award winning playwright David Henry Hwang.
Topics for the programs that follow include Einsteins spooky action in quantum mechanics, the link between brilliance and madness, never-before-seen footage of coral reefs, the surprising role of quantum physics in biology, an examination of why the human species prevailed, the next wave of the internet, an exploration of some of the coolest jobs in science, and a journey toward the coldest temperatures ever recorded.
The Festival will feature two daylong family-friendly, immersive events for budding scientists: Science-On-Site: Explorations in Brooklyn Bridge Park on June 2nd which culminates with an evening of stargazing, and The Ultimate Science Street Fair in Washington Square Park on June 3rda jam packed, wall-to-wall science extravaganza.
Also new this year is Innovation Square, a daylong tech fest in downtown Brooklyn that celebrates innovation by transforming NYU Polys MetroTech outdoor quad into a technophiles playground, teeming with innovations from all over the world.
In an invitation-only event, the Festival will host the prestigious 2012 Kavli Prizes, the international biennial awards that recognize scientists whose outstanding advances have dramatically expanded human understanding in the fields of Astrophysics, Nanoscience and Neuroscience – the big, the small, and the complex. The Kavli Prizes consist of $ 1 million in each of the three scientific fields, with this years laureates to be announced at the Festival live-via-satellite from The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters in Oslo, Norway.
A preliminary list of 2012 World Science Festivals distinguished participants includes: Nobel Laureates Bill Philips and Harold Varmus; Pulitzer Prize winners Siddhartha Mukherjee and Richard Rhodes; Government leaders John Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for President Obama and EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson; world-renowned scientists Oliver Sacks, E.O. Wilson, Eric Lander and Elaine Fuchs; award winning filmmaker and videographer Lynette Wallworth and architectural artist Tom
Tags: United Palace Theatre, 2012 World Science Festival, World Science Festival, Washington Square Park
Rebooting the Cosmos: Is the Universe the Ultimate Computer? [Live Event]
While adult stem cell research continues to show promise in various treatments, we find some scientists who are obsessed with keeping embryonic stem cell research on the public dole. The same tactics are used in their argument which are also used in the creationism vs. evolution debate. For example, some have claimed, restricting funding on ESC research is an attack on “science” despite the fact that $500 million already has been spent on ESC research.[0]
In addition to having no demonstrable qualifications to discuss any field of science whatever, and lapses in basic reading comprehension, Michael seems to have a memory. He addressed this same material on August 18 (“Adult Stem Cell Research Continues To Progress”) and has learned nothing from the rebuttals of his position. He even bother to argue them.
Despite all information to the contrary, Michael continues to believe that the discovery of adult stem cells obviates, now and forevermore, any need for research on embryonic stems cells.
A Washington Post on August 25 tells us who needs embryonic stem cells and why. The recent judicial decision that Federally funded research using such cells is illegal has caused a firestorm in the community. NIH Director Francis no stranger to the ethical issues[1]—said, “This decision has the potential to do serious harm to one of the most promising areas of biomedical research.” Elaine Fuchs, president of the International Society for Stem Cell Research: “This is the worst possible situation. This is going to be extremely damaging.”
50 requests for new stem-cell grants were pulled. 199 grants will continue, but will be forced to stop if the situation is not resolved. A dozen already approved grants were frozen, and 22 projects up for renewal will bu cut off. The ruling will impact 80% of all the stem-cell research in the United States, including most studies in adult stem cells.
An on August 26 in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune tells us who needs embryonic stem cells. The University of Minnesota is a world leader in biomedical research, and has a strong stem-cell program. Eight current projects will halt as a result of the ruling against embryonic stem cell use.
The irony is that the ruling mainly will experiments aimed at using adult cells—not embryonic ones—to treat diseases, said Jonathan Slack, director of the university’s Stem Cell Institute.
“It’s a ridiculous ruling,” Slack said of Monday’s order…. “This is actually going to hamper adult stem-cell research very seriously.”
Of the current projects being performed here, how many will be impacted?
“All of these eight grants are mostly about [adult] cells, which the opponents of stem cell research [say] are just fine because they’re not embryonic,” he said. “It’s very that it should be impeded, by the people who say they it.”
Embryonic stem cells are an integral of all stem-cell research. Everyone hopes that adult stem cells will replace them. But hoping will not make it so. Meanwhile, the ignorance and wishful thinking displayed by people such as Michael drag down the entire
[0] Presumabl6y Michael also urges terminating Federally-funded cancer research. spenmt a lot more than $500M on that, and are still decades away from cures.
[1] If Michael knew anything at all about the science, he would realize that adult stem cells raise their own ethical questions. As just one example, an embryonic stem cell allows one to clone the female donor only. But adult stem cells allow anyone to clone himself.