Alan Alda pays tribute to Albert Einstein with star-studded cast at 2014 World Science Festival
Multiple locations
May 28 – June 1
Free – $30
www.worldsciencefestival.com
Science is under ever-more fire from those who believe it is just a collection of opinions and unproven theories, not fact-based analysis and understanding; the World Science Festival seeks to do something about that, “cultivating a general public informed by science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, and prepared to engage with its implications for the future.” The seventh annual multidisciplinary festival takes place May 28 through June 1, with readings, lectures, performances, panel discussions, interactive displays, and much more, featuring such WSF stalwarts as cofounder Brian Greene and regular presenter Alan Alda. Among the topics being examined are family trees, ales and chocolate, quantum physics, time, poison, the human brain, the Higgs boson, DNA, and the Big Bang. Although some of the programs are already sold out, there might be tickets available at the door; in addition, there are plenty of free events that require no advance registration. Below are only some of the highlights.
Wednesday, May 28
“Dear Albert,” staged reading by Alan Alda with Paul Rudd, Cynthia Nixon, and Francesca Faridany, directed by Mark Brokaw, followed by a discussion with Alda and Brian Greene, NYU Skirball Center, 8:00
Wednesday, May 28
through
Saturday, May 31
“Eye of the Storm” The Science of Weather,” with Hilary Peddicord, Xichen Li, David Holland, and Denise Holland, Gould Plaza, NYU, free, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday, May 28
through
Sunday, June 1
“A Comet ‘Lands’ in Brooklyn,” with Artur B. Chmielewski and NASA Jet Propulsion Lab scientists, educators, and designers discussing the Rosetta Mission, Pier 1, Brooklyn Bridge Park, free, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm (12 noon – 4:00 on June 1)
Thursday, May 29
“Science and Story: The Write Angle,” with Sean Carroll, E. L. Doctorow, Jo Marchant, Joyce Carol Oates, and Steven Pinker, moderated by John Hockenberry, Great Hall of the Cooper Union, $15-$30, 5:30
“Gravity: Watch It with Astronauts under the Space Shuttle,” first-ever screening in the Space Shuttle Pavilion of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, followed by a discussion with Bobak Ferdowsi, Sandra Magnus, and John M. Grunsfeld, moderated by Lynn Sherr, $15-$30, 8:00
Friday, May 30
“Downloading the Brain,” with John Donoghue, Michel M. Maharbiz, George Church, and Bijan Pesaran, moderated by Gary Marcus, Grand Hall, NYU Global Center, $15-$25, 1:30
“Scientific Kitchen: Biophysics? More Like Pie-o-Physics!,” with Amy Rowat, Christina Tosi, and Bill Yosses, Momofuku Milk Bar Williamsburg, 6:30
Saturday, May 31
“The Search for Life: The 20 Year Horizon,” with Dimitar Sasselov, Sara Seager, and Jack W. Szostak, moderated by Mario Livio, Grand Hall, NYU Global Center, $15-$25, 4:00
“The Bionic Body: Going Wireless,” with Joseph J. Fins, John Donoghue, P. Hunter Peckham, and Jennifer French, moderated by Bill Blakemore, Grand Hall, NYU Global Center, $15-$25, 6:00
Saturday, May 31
and
Sunday, June 1
“Science Hack Day: Science in the City,” with Luke DuBois, Dana Karwas, Nancy Hechinger, Michael Flowers, Jin Montclare, and Julie Hecht, hosted by François Grey, MAGNET, NYU School of Engineering, free, 10:00 am
Sunday, June 1
The Ultimate Science Street Fair, with focuses on space, weather, and robots, Washington Square Park, free, 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
“Cool Jobs,” with Chad Jenkins, Michael J. Massimino, Becca Peixotto, Hannah Morris, and Mark Siddall, moderated by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder, NYU Skirball Center, $15-$30, 1:00
Kids’ Science Storytime: Meet the Authors, with Steve Metzger, “Science Bob” Pflugfelder, and Deborah Heiligman, NYU Kimmel Center, second floor, free, 2:00 – 4:00