Big Ideas Forum

Human Trafficking is the third largest criminal endeavor in the world. Despite more than 30 million people losing their identities and freedom, law enforcement has been unable to halt this insidious disease. Those who are trafficked are forced into prostitution, unpaid labor and villainous behavior. [Read More]

This week’s discussion concerns the economic, social, ethical, and public safety challenges related to our ever-increasing advances in robotics and artificial intelligence. Autonomous and non-autonomous robots have the potential to bring about a lot of good for society (caring for the sick and elderly, enabling the disabled, increasing our lifespans and allowing a surgeon to perform surgery from a distance to name just a few) but many of us fear that without adequate control, these machines can pose a threat not just to our livelihoods but to our species. Come see some of the latest advances in robotic technology and... [Read More]

Presenter: Karen [Read More]

Medicine is rapidly becoming information technology, bringing it from science fiction to science fact. Developments like robotic surgery, computer diagnosing, lab-grown replacement organs, and death being optional are well underway. And as genetics, robotics, nanotechnology, and artificial intelligence come together, the results may be here much sooner than we think and be more dramatic than we can even fathom. [Read More]

Long before the double helix of the DNA was discovered–and even long after–scientists have been puzzled by the fact that ‘identical twins’–also called single cell twins–develop to become ‘different’ as the grow older…given they have the exact same genetic make-up. [Read More]

Many of us enjoy danger in the form of a good “scary story” which we can experience vicariously while sitting safely in our living room. But what if the danger is real, invisible but present alongside you? [Read More]