Large enough to host a crowd up to 120 people, but intimate enough to feel like you should bring your grandfather for a scotch to discuss the state of the world, Caveat forms the perfect stage for a YHouse event. With its wood-panelled walls, easy leather armchairs in the corner, a Persian carpet on the stage, and a drink in your hand, you’re going on a comfortable night out whilst feeding yourself on new knowledge and insights.
Last Monday, I visited one of the recurring events on artificial life for the first time, called “Cylons and T2s and the Borg—Oh My!: The Dangers and Potential of Artificial Life.” Physicist Dr. Charles Adler and historian Dr. A Bowdoin van Riper were invited to tackle ideas from science fiction, world culture, science, and philosophy, as well as to pose answers to a variety of questions from the audience. The event was moderated by YHouse’s deputy creative director Sean Sakamoto.
A video of our most recent Chasing Consciousness event is now available on our YouTube channel: Imagination in Science and Art
The event featured the following speakers, each of whom spoke of their experience with the topic at hand before engaging in a brief on-stage dialog, which was followed by an extensive conversation with the audience.
Robbert Dijkgraaf, Director and Leon Levy Professor of the Institute for Advanced Study since 2012, is a mathematical physicist who has made significant contributions to string theory and the advancement of science education. He is President of the InterAcademy Partnership, a past President of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a distinguished public policy adviser and advocate for science and the arts. For his contributions to science, he has received the Spinoza Prize, the highest scientific award in the Netherlands, and has been named a Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the American Philosophical Society. He is also a trained artist, writer, and popular lecturer.
Pia de Jong is an award-winning Dutch writer who moved with her family to Princeton in 2012. Her most recent book is Saving Charlotte: A Mother and the Power of Intuition. "Simply a beautiful book, impossible to put down, clear as a jewel and flawless in its depths"—Richard Preston. Pia writes a weekly column in the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad about her life in the USA. She is a regular contributor to The Washington Post.
Please join us in watching this video of Yuko Ishihara's live presentation,“Awakened Realism: Insights from Japanese Philosophy”, moderated by YHouse's Christopher Stawski in the Rubin Museum's Art Lounge this past December.
Susan Schneider discusses her proposal for a test to determine whether an AI can be truly conscious
Join Susan Schneider, an associate professor of philosophy and cognitive science at the University of Connecticut and a member of the Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics at Yale University, as she discusses her proposal for a test for determining whether AI can be conscious.
Chasing Consciousness Series #8 at Rubin Museum of Art: “Waking Up to Dreaming: What Sleep Can Teach Us about Consciousness” Hosted by mind scientist Liza Solomonova (Dream and Nightmare Laboratory, University of Montreal)and moderated by Dr. Niko Schiff (Brain Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell).
Please join us for our FREE public dialogue this Friday, November 18th, 5PM at at the Rubin Museum of Art!
When: This Friday, October 21, 5PM-6PM Where: Rubin Museum of Art, Art Lounge (150 West 17th Street)
Please join us in a discussion with Hod Lipson, Director of Columbia University’s Creative Machine Labs and a world-renowned expert on robotics, computer learning, self-driving cars, and 3D-printing, who will talk about where artificial intelligence is leading us, and itself, faster and faster.
Friday, October 14, 5-6PM. At: Rubin Museum of Art (150 West 17th St. New York, NY), Art Lounge
Speakers: Ed Turner (Princeton University) and Caleb Scharf (Columbia University)
