Speakers & Guests
Brief bios of some of our presenters. This section is under construction. Videos are available for some, but not all presenters at this time.
A global ambassador for health underscores importance of biodiversity
An innovative leader in the development of renewable energy
A leading brain scientist who demonstrates why the brain is conditioned by a biological and social environment.
A leader in the discovery of the underlying common structure of diverse complex systems, including the Web, social networks, and disease patterns
A geophysicist who develops mathematical models to investigate ancient natural processes
A post-doctoral researcher in the exciting young field of exoplanet atmospheres
A biochemist who reconstructs the origin of the cell
A physical oceanography scientist investigates important relationships between the oceans and climate change
Director of the GEAR Lab at MIT, famous for innovations that really change lives, especially in the developing world.
An expert on the dynamics of major ocean currents and the complex relationship with global climate patterns.
The award-winning founder and director of the famous D-Lab at MIT
An aerospace engineer on the leading edge of artificial gravity designs, space physioogy and other innovations for living in space
One of the first researchers to reveal the effects of endocrine disruptors on human health
A researcher who represents the interdisiplinary approach to climate change
An international expert on the interdependence of the evolution of early life and the young Earth
An expert on the science of the soil and how climate change and other forces affect the "skin of the Earth"
A leader in developing and promoting the great potential of offshore wind farms
An astrophysicist who searches the most distant reaches of the universe explains what large-scale structures reveal about the cosmos.
Creative Director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, and well known innovator in science illustration
A young researcher whose work is raising awareness of the complex dependence of marine ecosystems on seagrasses
A leading researcher in the role of magnetism in planetary, astroid and lunar evolution
A dynamic researcher in the young field of paleogenomics reconstructs evolution
A researcher whose discoveries about TB bacteria are widely recognized
A leading marine envionment scientist who is also committed to public outreach
A current (2020) Ph.D. student whose multidisciplinary approach to protecting Earth's wildlife and environment will produce real results.
A pioneer in revealing the health threat of endocrine disruptors
A distinguished geochemist and author, who has led some of the most important seafloor investigations in our time.
Ths persistent and thorough researcher is committed to getting the scientific facts about honeybee decimation to the public.
A major marine and plant biologist who analyzes fossil plankton genomes to predict potenitial adaptabilty of modern plankton in a threatened environment
An innovator in the investigation of a rather new area of microbiology
A scientist who has developed methods for reconstructing the genomes of ancient dinosaurs
An international leader in urban design, emphasis on healthy and sustainable environment
Important research on the relationship between malnutrition in poor nations and the combined impact of industrial fishing and climate change
A mathematician who investigates how geometry determines the limits of structures and motion.
A major ethicist and author talks about the geoengineering issue and his new book on that topic, Earthmasters
The most advanced research methods for investigating and predicting seismic activity
A leading researcher on the science of clouds and what clouds reveal about climate change
An expert on the dynamic deep-sea volcanoes
A mathematician widely recognized for developing models of very complex phenomena, such as climate change and extinction
A wonderful explainer of the importance of fungi and mushrooms
An expert on the relationship between science and the culture in which it develops
A leading robotics engineer and historian emphasizes the importance of the social-psychological aspect of using robots.
A distinguished leader in the research on the Y chromosome, and Director of the Whitehead Institute at MIT
A major geologist who connects the relationship between rocks and life
One of the leading writers on the subject of extending the human lifespan
A unique academic who bridges literature and science writing.
A specialist in infectious diseases, with extensive medical and research experience in more than 50 nations --and a dedicated advocate for children's health worldwide.
A legendary Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution engineer who was part of the historical Alvin manned deep-sea submersible team
An astrophysicist who investigates dark matter in galaxies
A distinguished researcher in neuroscience, particularly in different forms of unconsciousness
An esteemed leader in the neuroscience of complex movement
A toxicologist whose focus is on the impact of environmental toxins on evolutionary mechanisms
An outstanding scientist and author with an interdisciplinary approach to studying the evolution of the universe
The lead climate analyst in the Climate and Energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), who provides the reliable information that is much needed.
A cognitive scientist who studies super-polyglots
A scientist who combines engineering and neural science skills to develop a brain-computer interface
A major innovator in the field of alternative energy
A pioneer in the effort to overcome antibiotic resistance
A theoretical mathematician who elucidates some of the most difficult forces and patterns of Nature
An international expert on climate change and environmental policy who emphasizes the need for global action on climate change
A mathematician who examines how geometry determines the limits of structures and motion
A veteran developer of science outreach programs for youth
A graduate student who unravels the origin of the cell membrane
A leader in the study of North American glacial varves
Leading research on one of the most important areas of biology: "Ecological systems are the archetypal complex systems."
An expert on the physical mechanisms of cells explains the implications of the random decisions cells make.
A brilliant scientist who is developing innovative biodegradable and biocompatible materials for use in products and biomedical applications
An expert at the Union of Concerned Scientists who calculates how individuals can contribute to energy efficiency
A major authority on space weather: solar cycles and coronal mass ejections
A geologist who probes the ice in Arctic caves for their record of geological history.
A neuroscientist who probes the neurochemical breakdowns that accompany motor diseases and dysfunctions.
A leading researcher in the potential medical properties of plants
A leading researcher on stellar disk formation discusses what astronomers now know --and don't know-- about the formation of solar systems
A prominent seismologist explains how and where earthquakes and tsunamis are generated
A virus expert whose work reveals how viruses function and how they can be controlled
A world leader in the design of desalination engineering
A leader in the development of genomic medicine, the personalized medicine of the future
An expert on freshwater use, the freshwater crisis, and the potential of alternative energy
A leading researcher in genetics, associated with major discoveries, who has also emphasized the social implications of this field.
An outstanding leader in virus transmission from animal hosts to humans --and the ecological disruptions that promote such spillovers.
An innovative theoretical cosmologist who has introduced exciting new possibilities about the nature of dark matter and primordial black holes.
A distinguished social scientist who analyzes the relationship between Big Agriculture, health and environment
A dual commitment: restoring contaminated land and hands-on training of students
A mathematician deconstructs the gerrymander for public understanding --and his work extends well beyond that
A world leader in conservation biology and founder of ATREE
Developer of numerous innovations in antibiotics research, and especially noted for a 2014 breakthrough
An expert on "floating" marine organisms such as jellyfish: their physiology, mobility, and their ecosystems. And a designer of a marine robot to study them.
A philosopher and author concerned with the tension between the necessity for scientific thinking and social groups antagonistic toward reason.
An early voice, and a persistent one, in warnings of the impact of climate change on ocean ecology
An astrophysicist whose research aims for an explanation of the relationship between large-scale structures and the mysterious accelerating expansion of the universe
A prominent astrophysicist shows how radio astronomy probes the early universe
A marine ecologist specializing in how ocean acidification is affecting shellfish, and searching for ways to save sea-life.
A biologist who investigates the relationship between bumblebees, their preferred food-flowers, and the transmission of bee diseases.
An extraordinary mathematician who shows the mathematics behind everyday phenomena
A leader in the effort to reveal the complex ecologies of the Himalaya region and the need to protect this region
A leading physicist explains how to implement renewable energy in the US --now!
A major researcher in epidemiology studies on autism and other cognitive disorders
An outstanding researcher and advocate for international policies to protect wildlife, environment and resources.
An important source for public attitudes toward renewable energy
A leading astrophysicist with a great gift for communicating complex science concepts to the nonspecialist
A particle physicist involved in both the search for new particles (Large Hadron Collider, CERN) and the design of particle detectors.
A Whitehead Institute researcher who is probing the role of epigenetics in biological inheritance
A doctoral student with a very promising research in biomimetics -developing engineering, architectural and computational designs based on the structures of natural organisms.
A researcher whose award-winning work on the origin of life receives a great deal of attention
A prominent astrophysicist's perspective on multiple universes
A astrophysicist who investigates the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system
A seismologist whose research is on the cutting edge of investigations of the deep Earth
A researcher with an exceptionally innovative approach to regeneration and developmental biology
A very original artist whose crochet sculptures created from discarded plastic have made news
An expert on the crucial role of ocean plankton in maintaining the Earth's CO2 balance
A geologist and outstandiing science historian who has shown how corporate disinformation campaigns mislead the public
A prominent biogeoscientist who probes the relationship between climate change, forests and their creatures, and the soil
Important contributions to the analysis of cosmic acceleration, quasars and galaxy formation, and to design of instruments for these investigations, especially the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI).
One of the most extraordinary -and comprehensive- theoretical physicists of our time
A leading researcher in particle physics, dark matter, cosmic rays
A pioneer in the investigation of extreme life at the deep-sea hydrovents
Author, lawyer and former director of the Conservation Law Foundation
A distinguished and award-winning scientist who has worked for decades to raise public awareness of the impact of environmental toxins on the developing brain
An innovative astrophysicist who is also deeply committed to promoting worldwide science literacy
An astrophysicist who investigates some of the most interesting questions about the cosmos --including gamma ray bursts
A reknowned conservation scientist and a prolific author
A leading expert on ocean sediments and biogeochemistry of the oceans
An innovative astronomer and developer of cutting-edge instruments for optical/infra-red astronomy
One of the most respected authors on the subject of psychotropic drugs
A major contributor to the identification of biomarkers in ancient Earth rocks and oils, as well as extraterrestrial biogeochemical fossils
An innovator in the development of nano-scale sensors and circuits used in medicine (such as "smart thread"), and a researcher committed democratizing science
A distinguished scientist who emphasizes the psychological as well as the physical impacts of disease, conflict, environment in the health of populatiions
A mathematician with visionary ideas of how to teach --and discover-- mathematics today
A very engaging authority on planet formation, binary star systems, and runaway stars
A pioneer in quantum computing, with a comprehensive view of quantum mechanics that includes QM in the cosmos and biology
A researcher who examines the impact of urban pollution on cognitive development
A respected nature writer discusses ancient and modern extinctions
One of the team that designed the famous electric eye
One of the most prolific researchers on public health issues, greatly committed to educating the public
A leader in both the effort to identify unknown microbes and the effort to create viable antibiotics
A member of the international CMS project at the Large Hadron Collider discusses his fascinating work
An international leader in raising awareness about the misuse of antibiotics and the resulting crisis of antibiotics resistance
An astrobiologist investigates the possible role of ultra-violet radiation in the emergence of life on exoplanets around M dwarf stars
A very original artist who is much interested in the kinship between art and science
One of the most prominent researchers on the impact of large-scale and global food production
A computational biologist's view of cellular mechanisms
An international leader in computational neuroscience and the brain-map of motion
A researcher who tracks the evolutionary relationship between life and environment
An expert on reconstructing individual histories through fossil teeth
An astrophysicist whose work focuses on dark matter halos, satellite galaxies and gravitational lensing
A leading astrophysicist's decades-long project: the mapping of the Milky Way and discovery of two new spiral arms
A major endocrinology researcher with a deep commitment to revealing how ubiquitous toxins compromise brain development --and also to demanding controls on toxins
Acclaimed author of The Fourth Part of the World (2009) and Da Vinci’s Ghost (2012)
A leading theoretical mathematician explains the crucial role of mathematics in understanding Nature
A particle physicist explains the excitement of the research at the Large Hadron Collider
An international leader in epidemiology and nutrition research, especially on the relationship between diet and the occurrence of major diseases.
A prominent law professor provides a how-to to create the public momentum that will ensure environmental protections.
An outstanding scientist reveals how the "anti-freeze" adaptations in Antarctic icefish can shed light on the relationship between climate and evolution and also on resistance to disease
A distinguished scientist who has worked for decades to implement sound environment and climate policies
