Science Speakers

As Director of the Hayden Planetarium and the host of PBS NOVA Science NOW, Dr. Tyson is one of the most high profile astrophysicists in America. Tyson is always working to pique the scientific curiosity of a new generation of young people. His recent books include "One Universe: At Home in the Cosmos," "Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries," "Origins," and "The Pluto Files."

Could the food you eat or the floors you walk on be toxic? Praised as "the new Rachel Carson" for her groundbreaking book "Living Downstream," Steingraber raises awareness of how toxins all around us adversely affect our health. She takes a personal and scientific look at the ecological links to cancer and other medical problems, and offers insight into how we can protect our environment and ourselves. Her new documentary Living Downstream, based on her highly-acclaimed book, was released in early 2010.[Photo Credit: Dede Hatch]

Jeff Lieberman is the star of Discovery Channel's Time Warp, where cool science is s-l-o-w-e-d down to better understand movement as an art form. Lieberman is also a musician, roboticist, sculptor and photographer.

What beauty can be found at the ocean's greatest depths? And how can we protect it? Biologist and deep-sea explorer Edith Widder combines her expertise in research and technological innovation with a commitment to reversing the worldwide trend of degradation in our marine environment. Her presentation gives a breathtaking view of the world beneath the surface of the seas.

Richard Rhodes is the author or editor of twenty-three books including “The Making of the Atomic Bomb,” which won a Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction. His new book "The Twilight of the Bombs" is set to be released in summer 2010.

An investigative journalist and author of such critically acclaimed and prize-winning books as "Crude: The Story of Oil,"“The Fever: How Malaria Has Ruled Humankind for 500,000 Years,” and “The Body Hunters: Testing New Drugs on the World's Poorest Patients."

Astronomers have recently discovered that the expansion of the Universe is speeding up due to a mysterious "dark energy". Robert Kirshner, Professor of Astronomy at Harvard, is one of the leaders of this astonishing new work that was dubbed the "Science Breakthrough of the Year" by Science Magazine. An amusing and compelling speaker, Kirshner provides an accessible and entertaining introduction to deep cosmological questions about the origin and fate of the Universe.

David Quammen is a nonfiction author, science journalist, and Contributing Writer for National Geographic. His work has also appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic and Outside. His current book project involves the emergence and evolution of scary viruses.

Meg Lowman climbs trees for a living. She has designed methods, including hot-air balloons and walkways for treetop exploration, to solve mysteries in the world’s forests, and has investigated links between insect pests and ecosystem health. Her book, "Life in the Treetops," received a cover review in The New York Times Sunday Book Review.

From fireflies flashing in unison to the rhythmic applause of hundreds of strangers in a movie theater, Steven Strogatz - author of "Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order" and the new book "The Calculus of Friendship" - explains how our supposedly random everyday lives are in fact filled with synchrony and harmony.

CSI has brought crime scenes into America's living room, and has sparked a wave of interest (and enrollment!) in forensic science as a career. CSI consultant and forensic pathologist Gary Telgenhoff uses science, experience and his own macabre sense of humor to bring audiences the tales that the dead can't tell.

Journalist and Author of “1491,” a best-selling history of the Americas before Columbus that received the National Academy of Science's Keck Award for Best Book of the Year.

An author, popular professor and sought-after public speaker, Gregory Pence aggressively defends all cloning research, from embryonic stem cells to cloned babies to genetically modified food. One of the founders of bioethics, he believes cloning is a biological imperative.

Leading paleontologist Donald Johanson is the discoverer of "Lucy", one of the earliest human ancestors ever unearthed. His years of research in Africa have brought us closer than ever to the origins of the human race. "Understanding who we are is not just a matter of curiosity," Johanson asserts, "it is a matter of survival for our own species and for the millions of others with whom we share the earth."

Are we alone in the universe? Could there be life on Mars - past, present or future? What will the history of the 21st century look like? Author and futurist B. Gentry Lee explores these questions and more with audiences all over the world. He is a consultant for NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as well as the author of books such as Cradle, Rama II and The Garden of Rama.

Consider a world where marketers use brain scans to determine a customer's interest in a product; politicians target voters via brain-image based profiles; job applicants undergo screening of their brain's electrical responses aimed at detecting unconsciously held prejudices and beliefs. Welcome to the Neurosociety where brain science is changing how we live, work and love. Richard Restak, author of 19 books on the human brain, including the recent The Naked Brain , explores such new and controversial applications of brain research and presents complex scientific material in a style that is, according to a recent appraisal, "immediate, visceral provocative and practical."

Acclaimed author, Eugene Linden, expertly and succinctly explains the science and dynamics of climate change and the social, economic, and environmental effects of global warming in a way that all audiences can grasp.

Best selling author following climate change in the Arctic and beyond. Reiss uses his phenomenal storytelling abilities to transport the audience to the Arctic describing his adventures in this remote part of the world. Reiss has met with everyone from Eskimo hunters, White House officials, oil people, politicians, scientists and military planners

Best-selling author, TV and radio commentator – his most recent book, "Present at the Creation", will change your view of science as did "Secret Notebook" decipher the science, mystery and mathematics of Descartes

How is language acquired? Nim Chimpsky was to be raised in a human family and taught American Sign Language -- this would challenge the idea that only humans use language, and blur or erase the line between human and nonhuman. But the study also created a chimpanzee with a foot in both worlds, neither fully chimp nor fully human, which further created a challenge for all of Nim's caretakers and Nim's own quality of life.

How is it that insects, with their robotic demeanor and stripped-down biological toolbox, are able to accomplish so many of the same functions that humans do? Evolutionary Biologist Marlene Zuk creates a smart, engaging account of the many things we think of as setting humans apart – personality, learning, language – that yield unexpected insights into human interactions.

Ainissa Ramirez, scientist, inventor, and science literacy evangelist, helps us understand and appreciate how knowing science makes our world a better place. Her mission is to make science accessible for all, including an educational and fun science show for kids called Science Saturdays, plus a short video series about “science in the news” called Material Marvels. Called one of the top innovators of the century, Ramirez’s research focuses on creating materials for new technology.