We strive to be good ancestors.
April 5, 02018: A Long Now Boston Conversation with
Professor Loren J. Samons II, Professor of Classical Studies at Boston University
See the after-event writeup for a discussion of this event.
“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.” — Winston Churchill Continue reading “The Myth of Democracy? From Pericles’ Athens to Modern Times”
March 5, 02018: A Long Now Boston Community Conversation with
Dr. Martin Elvis, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
See the after-event writeup for a discussion of this event.
Asteroids serve as convenient platforms for deep space exploration, industrial fabrication and solar system expeditions.
Continue reading “Asteroid Futures: Decades, Centuries, Millennia”
February 5, 02018: A Long Now Boston Conversation with
Dan Borelli, Dr. Nikolay Anguelov and Dr. Emilia Javorsky
See the after-event writeup for a discussion of this event.
Art, design, and other creative practices have the power to influence civic conversation – as Dan Borelli demonstrated in Ashland, MA at the Nyanza Superfund site.
Continue reading “CHASING COLOR: Art and the Hidden Narratives of Industrial Waste”
Food Evolution is a new documentary film about the science of, and controversies around, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), in the tradition of An Inconvenient Truth. The film is narrated by Neil DeGrasse Tyson, and follows scientists and opponents of GMOs as they confront policy issues and each other. Farmers explain their experiences with the technology, and with lack of technology. We need to think about the future of food on a planet with many challenges. Continue reading ““Food Evolution” Film Screening and Panel Discussion”
It’s time once again for Long Now Boston’s annual picnic + fundraiser, our end of summer lazin’ on a sunny afternoon. Come meet the steering committee of Long Now Boston and [possibly] some surprise guests. There’ll be plenty to eat, plenty to drink and plenty of conversation that’ll light up your brain.
• Danny Hillis and Taylor Milsal have again generously opened their home for this intimate gathering of Long Now Boston supporters and friends. Continue reading “2nd Annual Summer Picnic + Fundraiser”
A Long Now Boston Conversation with Taylor Milsal.
Solar Geo is a controversial idea, existing on the sidelines for many years. Now, as the need to mitigate the effects of climate change becomes more urgent, we need to examine all of our tools, in order to help future generations solve this problem. Taylor will talk about new advances in solar geo, and the arguments in favor of field testing. The Long Now Boston community is invited to participate in this discussion and share your thoughts. Continue reading “Solar Geoengineering”
The Age of Reason Got it Wrong | Understanding Social Conflict Through a Brain Science Lens
Most approaches to solving the most pressing social challenges we face are wrong because they are rooted in the deeply flawed assumption that human behaviors and decisions are purely rational. Brain science and hard-won experience demonstrate just the opposite, revealing the primary role unconscious processes play in shaping our behaviors and decision-making, especially in the aftermath of violence and trauma. To thrive in the 21st century, what is needed is a profound reshaping of our approaches to human conflict and division, one that is rooted in a nuanced, empirical understanding of human behavior. Continue reading “The Age of Reason Got It Wrong”
Mary Mangan will speak on “Genomes are The Long Now”.
The genomes of organisms around us today, and some of those that are no longer alive, carry crucial information about our past and also frame our future directions. In addition, it’s also becoming possible to “Revive and Restore” lost species. Organizing and visualizing DNA sequence data is key to using it effectively to understand the history of life of this planet, and for potentially using it to create new variations with impacts on our health and environment. In this talk, Mary Mangan will demonstrate how researchers currently access species genomic data in the UCSC Genome Browser (genome.ucsc.edu). Highlights of some revealing and important projects will be included, as well as some potential trip-wires in personal genomics data that services like 23andMe provide.
Continue reading “Genomes are The Long Now”
Raising the Bar: Libation as an entry point to Education
w/Alex Murray [Legal Sea Food] and Tenzin Samdo [Cafe Art Science]
See a summary of this event here.
Have you ever thought of what the introduction of beer and wine was like to an otherwise unsuspecting city, 5000 years ago?
Restauranteurs and beverage designers are using their bully pulpits to build awareness about Global warming and the earthlings whose voices are too often ignored. Continue reading “The Future History of Wine and Beer”
This talk explores the process of invention in the studio. Feeling one’s way through a cloud of unknowing into territories of discovery. In science and art cultivating intuition and trusting the creative process becomes a guide when knowing obscures the new. Making art allows us to embrace the unknown and question our assumptions freeing us from the illusions of preconceived knowledge. In the studio, translations between the imaginary and the real illuminate possibilities for discovery and invention. Continue reading “The Persistent Illusion of Knowing”