2008 World Science Festival
inaugural world science festival held new york city may june consisted mainly panel discussion onstage conversation accompanied multimedia presentation youth family program presented topic sport scientific perspective included extensive street fair cultural program led actor writer alan alda focused art inspired science festival also included world science summit meeting highlevel participant world science politics administration business festival brainchild columbia university physicist brian greene wife emmy awardwinning television journalist tracy day held partnership major new york city cultural academic institution including columbia university new york university metropolitan museum art world science festival founded brian greene columbia university physic professor author several popularscience book elegant universe wife emmy awardwinning television journalist tracy day inspired visit festival della scienza genoa greene invited speak two decided founding similar festival new york city would unique opportunity bring science wider public envisioned festival would allow combine greene skill scientist science communicator day journalist producer event meant rooted science also conform production standard professional tv theater production day greene sounded scientist science communicator idea enlisting many contact festival scientific advisor met president city major university cultural scientific institution forging partnership festival organization according greene idea fell open ear wherever went frequent reaction proposal expression disbelief festival like already exist new york city early saw founding science festival foundation sff nonprofit organization based new york city dedicated organizing festival related event greene serf foundation chairman also board director member board alan alda columbia university president lee bollinger foundation president judith cox new york university president john sexton tracy day also serf festival executive director next came assembly team producer organize festival event notably kyle gibson emmy awardwinning former producer nightline ted koppel joined festival senior program producer production youth family program put hand robin reardon former show producer walt disney imagineering former vice president universal studio creative also became festival managing director task raising festival new york city profile went vice president marketing ben austin previously worked new york city department education public relation caroline kennedy scientific background appropriate new festival foundation organizes world science festival wsf partnership columbia university new york university city university new york rockefeller university cooper union well cultural institution metropolitan museum art guggenheim museum museum modern art financial support come individual numerous foundation corporate sponsor festival included sloan foundation simon foundation templeton foundation rockefeller foundation cullman foundation credit suisse inaugural world science festival took place may june venue throughout new york city included event street fair first day oneday world science summit columbia university festival attended people featured several different kind presentation science event general audience cultural program focusing art inspired science youth family program since held annually new york wsf launched brisbane edition held annually well preceding public event invitationonly world science summit may new york city mayor michael bloomberg opened festival summit invited audience interacted eminent scientist several panel discussion participant included nina fedoroff science technology advisor u secretary state condoleezza rice biologist david baltimore cancer researcher harold varmus part summit winner first kavli prize announced simulcast linking new york city oslo first kavli prize astrophysics awarded maarten schmidt donald lyndenbell pioneering work quasar louis e brus sumio iijima shared nanoscience prize contribution science quantum dot carbon nanotube respectively pasko rakic thomas jessell sten grillner awarded neuroscience prize research neuronal network develop communicate event covered wide variety scientific topic combined talk demonstration video presentation panel discussion number event addressed big question example roster scientist including physicist william phillips philosopher patricia churchland neuroscientist antonio damasio philosopher daniel dennett cognitive scientist marvin minsky cancer researcher harold varmus debated mean human panel discussion moderated charlie rose recurring theme wider implication scientific result exemplified discussion promise consequence personal genomics involving biochemist paul nurse sociologist nikolas rose human genome project leader francis collins number event explored interface science art instance panel including psychologist nancy c andreasen choreographer dancer bill jones actor writer michael york focused scientific study creativity audience saw physicist lawrence krauss radio host ira flatow presenting modern cosmology paleontologist richard leakey exploring sixth extinction soundscape ecologist bernie krause reflecting loss biophony chemist f sherwood rowland rensselaer polytechnic president shirley ann jackson discussing new way satisfying humanity energy need number event coproductions festival partner discussion robert krulwich neurologist author oliver sack perception held metropolitan museum art musician mark oliver everetts exploration scientific legacy father hugh everett museum modern art festival cultural program ranged string theorythemed dance performance choreographed karole armitage storytelling event cooperation moth featured journalist writer lucy hawking physicist jim gate writer sam shepard among others alan alda revisited role richard feynman peter parnell play qed staged reading columbia university miller theatre choir abyssinian baptist church joined oliver sack exploration music science festival also saw première dear albert reading stage written alda based letter albert einstein starring anthony lapaglia einstein event younger audience included examination science sport sport scientist tom crawford neuroscientist david eagleman athlete brevin knight lisa willis leilani mitchell festival first event new york city highschool student interviewed robotics expert cynthia breazeal physicist leon lederman onstage moderated mtvs suchin pak another event presented disney imagineers explored science special effect amusement park technology roller coaster firework motion capture artificial fog wsf street fair took place around washington square park new york university campus saturday may although interrupted thunderstorm street fair attended people according estimate new york police department stage event street fair included live performance mathemagician arthur benjamin science rapper zach power pcr rap fame band called mathematician science demonstration team institution liberty science center franklin institute presentation journalist author lucy hawking visual artist scott draves among others street fair featured appearance disney animatronic dinosaur lucky character science educationrelated tv show cyberchase big big world clifford big red dog zula patrol well demonstration team participating new york–new jersey first robotics competition handson activity owl pellet dissection miniature rocket launch also present movable museum american museum natural history magic school bus festival coverage leading festival included article major newspaper appearance alda greene national show regis kelly colbert report mostly focused introducing festival concept organizer event promise bringing event type new york aside mention small organizational glitch coverage festival event generally positive good morning america science news focused potential festival inspire next generation scientist make geek chic new york post described festival role new york cultural landscape geek counterpart fashion week tony award science channel coverage characterized festival wonderfully inspiring informative new york time noted greene day appeared succeeded creating new cultural institution time article declared festival critical box office success online coverage typically focused specific festival event notably science wired science channel usa today provided sameday nextday account event including mean human ramachandrankurzweil humanity nowhumanity next future city well two event featuring oliver sack world science festival website world science festival blog