MAY LUMINARY GUIDE
Monday, May 19th – Technology
11:00am - 12:00pm
The Future of the Mind and Beyond
Dr. Michio Kaku
Widely known for his groundbreaking work on string theory and quantum field theory, Dr. Michio
Kaku’s most recent project brings his sharply analytical perspective to bear on research conducted in
top laboratories around the world – not in his native field of physics but in cutting-edge Neurology
and Biotechnology.
Imagining the not-so-distant future, Dr. Kaku offers his projections for advancements in humanity’s
understanding of and technological interaction with the brain and consciousness over the next century.
Dr. Kaku envisions a world in which progress in neuroscience and biotechnology will demystify the
human mind – as the telescope once exposed the science of the heavens.
BIO: Dr. Michio Kaku is a theoretical physicist, NY Times best-selling author, and a prominent futurist who currently holds the
Henry Semat Professorship in Theoretical Physics at the City College of New York. In 1974, Dr. Kaku co-authored the first papers
describing string theory in field theory form. He has since authored numerous textbooks on string theory and quantum field
theory. He is widely recognized for his efforts to popularize science, writing multiple books, appearing in films, and hosting
numerous TV science specials and a national weekly science radio show heard in 130 cities. A science policy advocate, Dr. Kaku
has publicly discussed issues related to the anthropogenic causes of global warming, nuclear proliferation, and the misuse of
science. BOOKS: Physics of the Future, Parallel Worlds, Hyperspace.
2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Future of Nanotechnology
Dr. K. Eric Drexler
At a time when the overconsumption of natural resources is a rising international concern, many are
calling for a radical rethink of how we source and manufacture products. Can we engineer a method
of production that does not deplete the Earth’s limited complex natural resources? How can we
maintain growth and further human development without irreversibly damaging the natural systems
that sustain us?
Dr. Eric Drexler’s pioneering work in nanotechnology has led him to demonstrate the radical possibilities
of just such a method of production: atomically precise manufacturing. His ongoing efforts allow him
a principal view of the potential implications of nanotechnology and atomically precise manufacturing
for the future of technology, global governance, the environment, and human survival.
BIO: Dr. K. Eric Drexler, often described as “the founding father of nanotechnology,” introduced the concept of nanotechnology
to the scientific community through a seminal 1981 paper and a book-length, physics-based analysis, Nanosystems: Molecular
Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation. His 1986 book, Engines of Creation, introduced prospects for advanced nanotechnologies to a global audience, setting in motion a shift in both scientific research directions and popular visions of the future.
His most recent book, Radical Abundance (PublicAffairs, 2013) explores prospects for advanced, atomically precise nanotechnologies that will transform the physical basis of technological civilization, with implications in areas that range from medicine
to global economic development and climate change. Dr. Drexler is currently with the Programme on the Impacts of Future
Technology at the Oxford Martin School, Oxford University.
MAY LUMINARY GUIDE
Tuesday, May 20th – Civilization
11:00am - 12:00pm
Modern China
Ms. Sheryl WuDunn
As an editor and reporter for the New York Times, Ms. Sheryl WuDunn illuminated economic, financial,
political and social issues in East Asia and around the world. As an activist, philanthropist and business
executive, her work has involved issues ranging from the creation of economic opportunity for women
and girls in the developing world to erudite investments in emerging markets.
Now, Ms. WuDunn brings all of her insight as a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, business executive,
entrepreneur, best-selling author, and philanthropist to bear in discussing the uncertainties facing
China and the world today. She explores the complications of rapid development and growth, the
challenges of China’s unique and evolving political economy and the aspirations of a rising middle class.
Additionally, Ms. WuDunn delves into the complexity of Chinese society, politics, and markets today,
offering details on what the future may hold for one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing nations.
BIO: Ms. Sheryl WuDunn, the first Asian-American reporter to win a Pulitzer Prize, is a business executive and best-selling
author. Currently, she works with entrepreneurs in new media, media technology, and social enterprise at a small investment
banking boutique in NYC. She also runs TripleEdge, which focuses on socially driven investing. Ms. WuDunn is co-author of
Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide, a No. 1 New York Times best-seller about the challenges
facing women around the globe. Ms. WuDunn lectures to a wide range of American and global audiences and has been invited
to speak to the Secretary General of the United Nations, former Vice President Al Gore, and other senior officials on economic,
political, and social topics related to women in the developing world, the global economy, China, and the emerging markets.
She was a Senior Lecturer at Yale University’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs in fall 2011, when she taught a module on China
in the flagship course on global affairs. Ms. WuDunn, who was a guest as President Obama’s State Dinner at the White House for
Chinese President Hu Jintao, has frequently discussed Chinese economic issues on television and radio programs such as
Fox Business News, The Colbert Report, Charlie Rose, and NPR.
2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Middle East & Global Security
Amb. Henry Crumpton
A veteran CIA operative with experiences on the front line of America’s initial campaign against the
Taliban in Afghanistan, Ambassador Henry Crumpton has spent over 30 years immersed in U.S. and
international intelligence communities. Now a private citizen, his perspective is uniquely informed by a
career engaged directly in some of the most complex geopolitical conflicts of the past quarter-century.
Amb. Crumpton brings this experience and an intensely strategic perspective to bear when considering the
fundamental issues driving the unprecedented connectedness and complexity of the world today. Discussing the Middle East as an illustrative case study, Amb. Crumpton considers the global paradigm shift caused
by the increased role and influence of non-state actors, the growing asymmetry of power and the globalized market. He shares what these developments may mean for the future of the region and the world.
BIO: Ambassador Henry A. Crumpton, the former U.S. Coordinator for Counterterrorism, is the Chairman and CEO of Crumpton
Group, a global strategic advisory and business development firm. A consultant, entrepreneur, investor, and New York Times
best selling author, he also serves as a director of Argan Inc and on the advisory boards of DC Capital Partners and The Coca
Cola Company. A 24 year veteran of the CIA’s Clandestine Service, Ambassador Crumpton was profiled in 2010 and in 2012 on
CBS’ 60 Minutes, exploring his leadership role in the CIA’s 2001-2002 Afghanistan campaign which “changed the way America
wages war.” His work at the FBI, CIA, and State Department placed him at the forefront of America’s counterterrorism efforts, including
the development of the armed Predator drone. Among many honors, he received the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA’s
highest award for achievement. BOOKS: Transforming U.S. Intelligence (co-author) and The Art of Intelligence.
MAY LUMINARY GUIDE
Wednesday, May 21st – Human Spirit
11:00am - 12:00pm
Super Brain
Dr. Rudy Tanzi
The first rule of super brain is that your brain is always eavesdropping on your thoughts. As it listens,
it learns. If you teach it about limitation, your brain will become limited. However, what if you do the
opposite? What if you teach your brain to become unlimited?
Dr. Rudy Tanzi explores the above questions and the role we play in shaping the mind’s potential.
As one of the world’s leading experts on Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Tanzi is at forefront of research
challenging what we know about the brain and its capabilities. He now looks to confront persistent
myths about the human brain and illustrate how remarkably responsive and adaptive it can be in
situations both dire and mundane. Dr. Tanzi brings together the research challenging what we know
about the brain and its capabilities in order to elucidate the possibilities for enhancing this vital
organ, one of the most challenging and least understood structures in our known universe.
BIO: Dr. Rudolph Tanzi is a Professor of Neurology and holder of the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Neurology
at Harvard Medical School. At the Massachusetts General Hospital, Dr. Tanzi serves as the Vice-Chair of Neurology and Director
of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit, which consists of five laboratories investigating the causes of Alzheimer’s disease and
novel therapies. Dr. Tanzi currently spearheads the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund – Alzheimer’s Genome Project. He is one of the ten
most cited researchers in AD, having co-authored over 425 research articles. Dr. Tanzi is the Chairman of the Cure Alzheimer’s
Fund Research Consortium and serves on over 40 editorial and scientific advisory boards. BOOKS: Super Brain (co-author),
Decoding Darkness: The Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease (co-author). ALBUMS: Aerosmith, Music From
Another Dimension.
2:00pm - 3:00pm
The Science of Happiness
Dr. Nancy Etcoff
Sigmund Freud argued that pursuing happiness is pointless and irrelevant to human survival; Pascal
argued that humans have no choice but to desire it. Yet what is happiness? How do we define it and
pursue it? And how do we know if we’ve achieved it?
Dr. Nancy Etcoff is among the leading medical researchers conducting trail blazing research in the
field of positive psychology, specifically the study of happiness. She reveals why it is just as critical
to understand exactly how our mental and physical health is benefitted by emotions like happiness
and joy as it is critical to comprehend how our health is devastated by emotions like anxiety and
depression. Dr. Etcoff surveys the most recent technologies being implemented by medical researchers
to study, measure and answer seemingly subjective questions, long considered the purview of
philosophers and artists.
BIO: Dr. Nancy Etcoff is a faculty member in the Harvard Medical School and Harvard University’s Mind-Brain-Behavior Initiative
who conducts ground breaking and highly cited scientific investigations in the psychology and neuroscience of emotion, and the
psychology and biology of beauty. In 2003, she founded the Program in Aesthetics and Well Being within the Department of
Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital to foster research, education and consultation at the intersection of these two
fields. Her research has culminated in numerous awards, and her book, Survival of the Prettiest: The Science of Beauty (Doubleday,
1999; Anchor, 2000) has been published in over a dozen languages, and is the subject of a one-hour Discovery Channel program.
MAY LUMINARY GUIDE
Thursday, May 22nd – Science
11:00am - 12:00pm
Discovery in Cosmology and Particle Physics
Dr. Lisa Randall
One of the world’s leading theoretical physicists, Dr. Lisa Randall studies some of modern physics’
most basic questions. What is matter and the universe made of? What is the fundamental nature of
space and time? In this lecture, Dr. Randall will describe the state of particle physics today and introduce
some of her ground-breaking work.
Exploring the properties of matter, the intricacies and implications of dimensions beyond the three
we can presently observe, Dr. Randall challenges the limits of what is known and what is knowable.
This Harvard professor is one of the most cited and influential physicists working in theoretical particle
physics today. She is also a vocal advocate for the importance of scientific literacy in modern society
and the author of several notable books explaining scientific ideas to the public.
BIO: Dr. Lisa Randall is an American theoretical physicist and a leading expert on particle physics and cosmology. Her research
connects theoretical insights to puzzles in our current understanding of the properties and interactions of matter. Dr. Randall’s
studies have made her among the most cited and influential theoretical physicists of all time and she has received numerous
awards and honors for her scientific endeavors. Randall has also pursued art-science connections, writing a libretto for
Hypermusic: A Projective Opera in Seven Planes; in 2012, she was the recipient of the Andrew Gemant Award from the American
Institute of Physics, which is given annually for significant contributions to the cultural, artistic, or humanistic dimension of
physics. Her books Warped Passages and Knocking on Heaven’s Door were both chosen as NYTimes 100 Notable books. Her
latest book is entitled Higgs Discovery.
2:00pm - 3:00pm
Frontiers of Science
Dr. Robbert Dijkgraaf
As the director of one of the world’s most renowned establishments for scientific inquiry and research
-- the Institute for Advanced Study -- Dr. Robbert Dijkgraaf is a pioneer in the field of mathematical
physics. This string theory specialist draws from his experiences as a researcher, educator, columnist
and public advocate to elucidate current advances in physics ranging from the fundamental properties
of quantum mechanics to the complexities of particle physics to the significance of the recent Higgs
boson discovery.
From his own groundbreaking theoretical work to his ongoing efforts encouraging public engagement
with the scientific community, Dr. Dijkgraaf’s distinguished academic career places him at the forefront
of ongoing research, particularly in the realm of particle physics. He shares how string theory continues
to shed light on many aspects of quantum understanding and how the latest discoveries in the field
continue to ignite revolutionary technology. Most importantly, Dr. Dijkgraaf highlights the possibilities
associated with untangling mathematical complexity in the cosmos.
BIO: Dr. Robbert Dijkgraaf is a mathematical physicist and string theorist currently serving as the Director and Leon Levy
Professor of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, N.J. Prior to joining the Institute, Dr. Dijkgraaf served as president
of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences; he also remains a distinguished professor of mathematical physics at
the University of Amsterdam. In 2003, Dr. Dijkgraaf’s mathematical contributions to string theory earned him the Netherlands
Organization for Scientific Research’s Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands. An advocate for engaging
young people in the hard sciences, Dr. Dijkgraaf has helped to develop curriculum and study materials and has actively involved
secondary school students in his research.