MorningSong
21st August 2013, 13:33
This was mentioned on the news here and I found it interesting:
News from the Library of Congress
August 15, 2013
Longevity of Human Civilization Symposium at Kluge Center Sept 12
Will the longevity of human civilization on Earth be imperiled, or enhanced, by our world-changing technologies? Scientists, humanists, journalists and science-fiction authors will convene to answer this question in a daylong symposium at the Library of Congress John W. Kluge Center on Sept. 12.
David H. Grinspoon, the first Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology at the Kluge Center, will lead the discussions.
The symposium, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, is free and open to the public. The events will take place in room 119 of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.
There will be four panels devoted to the theme of longevity. One panel will focus on nature: What of nature is left to be saved and how will humans choose to save it? A second will address human imaginings of the future and will feature science fiction writers in conversations with scientists. A third panel will specifically address world-altering technologies, including those that may affect climate or biological evolution, as well as those that may prevent future disasters. The final panel will be a group discussion summarizing the entirety of the day.
A full list of panel times and participants will be released in the coming weeks.
"We’ve reached the stage in Earth’s evolution where humans are now a major agent of planetary change," says Grinspoon. "Will these abilities threaten our survival as a species, or even threaten the Earth as a whole, or will we come to live comfortably with these new powers and use them to avoid, rather than hasten, disaster? This event is meant to explore these questions from a wide range of perspectives."
A well-known researcher in planetary science, Grinspoon has been a scholar-in-residence at the Kluge Center since November 2012, studying the "Anthropocene Era," the proposed phase of Earth history defined by human influence, from the perspective of astrobiology, the scientific study of life in the universe. This work grew out of his book "Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life," recipient of the 2004 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Research Nonfiction.
The astrobiology chair is a distinguished senior research position housed within the John W. Kluge Center. Using the collections and services at the Library, the chair holder conducts research at the intersection between the science of astrobiology and its humanistic aspects, particularly its societal implications. The chair honors the late Baruch Blumberg, a Nobel Prize winner in medicine, former member of the Library’s Scholars Council and the founding director of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, who actively promoted research and development across disciplines. For more information visit www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-202.html.
Through a generous endowment from John W. Kluge, the Library of Congress established the Kluge Center in 2000 to bring together the world’s best thinkers to stimulate and energize one another, to distill wisdom from the Library’s rich resources and to interact with policymakers in Washington. For further information on the Kluge Center, visit www.loc.gov/kluge/.
The NASA Astrobiology Program supports research into the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), an element of that program, is a partnership among NASA, 14 U.S. teams, and 10 international consortia. NAI’s goals are to promote, conduct, and lead interdisciplinary astrobiology research, train a new generation of astrobiology researchers, and share the excitement of astrobiology with learners of all ages.
News from the Library of Congress
August 15, 2013
Longevity of Human Civilization Symposium at Kluge Center Sept 12
Will the longevity of human civilization on Earth be imperiled, or enhanced, by our world-changing technologies? Scientists, humanists, journalists and science-fiction authors will convene to answer this question in a daylong symposium at the Library of Congress John W. Kluge Center on Sept. 12.
David H. Grinspoon, the first Baruch S. Blumberg NASA/Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology at the Kluge Center, will lead the discussions.
The symposium, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12, is free and open to the public. The events will take place in room 119 of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C.
There will be four panels devoted to the theme of longevity. One panel will focus on nature: What of nature is left to be saved and how will humans choose to save it? A second will address human imaginings of the future and will feature science fiction writers in conversations with scientists. A third panel will specifically address world-altering technologies, including those that may affect climate or biological evolution, as well as those that may prevent future disasters. The final panel will be a group discussion summarizing the entirety of the day.
A full list of panel times and participants will be released in the coming weeks.
"We’ve reached the stage in Earth’s evolution where humans are now a major agent of planetary change," says Grinspoon. "Will these abilities threaten our survival as a species, or even threaten the Earth as a whole, or will we come to live comfortably with these new powers and use them to avoid, rather than hasten, disaster? This event is meant to explore these questions from a wide range of perspectives."
A well-known researcher in planetary science, Grinspoon has been a scholar-in-residence at the Kluge Center since November 2012, studying the "Anthropocene Era," the proposed phase of Earth history defined by human influence, from the perspective of astrobiology, the scientific study of life in the universe. This work grew out of his book "Lonely Planets: The Natural Philosophy of Alien Life," recipient of the 2004 PEN Center USA Literary Award for Research Nonfiction.
The astrobiology chair is a distinguished senior research position housed within the John W. Kluge Center. Using the collections and services at the Library, the chair holder conducts research at the intersection between the science of astrobiology and its humanistic aspects, particularly its societal implications. The chair honors the late Baruch Blumberg, a Nobel Prize winner in medicine, former member of the Library’s Scholars Council and the founding director of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute, who actively promoted research and development across disciplines. For more information visit www.loc.gov/today/pr/2011/11-202.html.
Through a generous endowment from John W. Kluge, the Library of Congress established the Kluge Center in 2000 to bring together the world’s best thinkers to stimulate and energize one another, to distill wisdom from the Library’s rich resources and to interact with policymakers in Washington. For further information on the Kluge Center, visit www.loc.gov/kluge/.
The NASA Astrobiology Program supports research into the origins, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. The NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI), an element of that program, is a partnership among NASA, 14 U.S. teams, and 10 international consortia. NAI’s goals are to promote, conduct, and lead interdisciplinary astrobiology research, train a new generation of astrobiology researchers, and share the excitement of astrobiology with learners of all ages.