No dilemmas today, just a shout-out to the second annual
World Science Festival, being held this weekend here in New York.

My hubby is SO excited. He loves anything connected to the
world of ideas. And as a former philosophy major, so, theoretically, do I.
(Sometimes, however, I get philosophy fatigue, and lately I’ve begun to prefer
practical quandaries to more lofty ones.)

Anyway, I love the concept of the science festival because it’s
bringing together some of the world’s finest minds in a spirit of open
questioning that includes the public and allows all of us (who wish to) to
participate. There’ll be musical performances featuring the likes of Yo Yo Ma, discussions about climate
change, cocktail parties, street fairs, even–my favorite–a seminar on Battlestar Galactica called “Cyborgs on the Horizon” that allows you to “explore
scientifically, philosophically, and ethically the approaching frontier where
intelligent machines are commonplace and cybernetic technology enhances human
capabilities.” 

Wow!

And as far as ethical implications go, here are some of my
husband’s suggestions for some great WSF programs to check out if you’re in the
city:

From the emerging field of neuroscience and brain imaging,
the potential to actually discern someone’s thoughts becomes a growing
real-world possibility.

A discussion of the enigma of the origins of, and
rationale behind, our apparently altruistic behavior, hosted by Alan Alda.

People, everything from Faith & Science to Free Will will be discussed here in the Big Apple this weekend. There’ll be journalists, celebrities, philosophers, scientists, musicians, mathematicians and artists galore. It’s just so exciting to live in a
society where such big questions can be so freely and openly discussed.

For those who can’t make it, you
can also follow the World Science Festival on Twitter,  Facebook, and MySpace. 

Have fun, and keep those minds expanding!