The Center for Values in Medicine, Science and Technology at UT Dallas has announced its third annual lecture series, Funded and Forbidden Knowledge: Science, Policy and Cultural Values.
Mark B. Brown will address climate change in the first presention of the lecture series.
“Our yearlong series will explore the intersections between science, politics and policy-making,” said Dr. Matthew Brown, director of the Center for Values. “Our events will feature local and national experts from political science, philosophy, engineering, science education and science fiction literature.”
The lecture series will explore such topics as global climate change, education policy, robotic warfare and institutions of social reform.
In collaboration with the Center for Vital Longevity, the Center for Values will also be featuring a monthlong series of events that focus on aging and life extension, Aging Well: Creating a Vital Life. A discussion forum will precede this series on Wednesday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m. in room 2.410 of the McDermott Library. The forum is a roundtable discussion between local experts followed by a question and answer session with the audience.
“Science, technology, and medicine present us with the knowledge that has allowed us to live longer and longer lives, presenting new medical and social challenges. Rather than merely living longer, though, we also want to know how we can age well and extend the vitality of life,” Brown said. “Our speakers will look at these questions from psychological, philosophical and policy perspective.
The Center for Values was established in 2009 to help the public understand the complex, crucial role that technological innovations and scientific discoveries play in shaping the values of contemporary culture.
The cornerstone of the Center for Values’ outreach is an annual public lecture series that brings in leading scholars to investigate topics at the intersection of technology and the humanities. An international group of authors, artists, scientists, philosophers, theorists, and engineers engage a diverse audience in thinking about issues such as “Creativity in the Age of Technology” (2009 series) and “Exploring Human Enhancement” (2010 series).
Visit the Center for Values’ website for more information.