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Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) Presents Andrew Maynard: Where Do We Go From Here?

On Saturday (December 11) at 4pm, world-renowned scientist, Dr. Andrew Maynard, gives a no-holds-barred presentation on the future of technology. His latest blog post http://2020science.org/2010/12/06/small-gods-and-the-art-of-technology-innovation explains the topic of his talk and charmingly describes his excitement and enthusiasm for his upcoming visit to Cincinnati.

This is the second installment of the Where Do We Go From Here? speaker series which invites global game-changers to the CAC to answer one question: Where do we go from here? Last month’s successful inauguration of the series featured Dhani Jones describing to a full house how he sees a brighter future with increased exposure to global cultures.

Some believe human ingenuity can solve all ills. Some believe technology will transform the world. Some believe we are on the verge of creating life – and bending it to our will. Some people believe we are gods. But what if we are SMALL gods – knowing just enough to be dangerous as we flex our technological muscles? Looking to the future, we are facing some of the greatest challenges in human history. We will turn to technology as we strive to build a sustainable future – we already are. But how do we ensure the technologies we embrace do more good than harm? As we ‘go from here’ into an uncertain future, how do we avoid the temptation to act like small gods and learn to harness the power of technology for good? – Andrew Maynard

About Andrew Maynard
Dr. Maynard has made a career out of tackling some of the trickier questions raised by science and technology in the 21st century, such as: Where is technology innovation taking us? What is the role of science in society? and How can science and technology be developed responsibly? The go-to guy for governments and institutes alike, Maynard is a scientist with a self-described “unhealthy interest in the dark side: the alternative reality of science, policy and communication; and making sense of what happens when the three come together.

Internationally recognized as a ground-breaking expert in nanotechnology and its implications on society, he was trained as a physicist and received a Ph.D from Cambridge University in what would later become known as nanotechnology. After being told that this research was “interesting but totally irrelevant” he joined the UK Health and Safety Executive as a researcher. But a few years later his graduate work had proven extremely relevant and he was recruited to the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), where he was part of a elite new team focused on nanoparticle exposure in the workplace. While in DC, he became increasingly interested in the intersection of science, policy and communication. Having grown quite vocal on his views, he was drafted by the Pew Charitable Trust to be the Chief Science Advisor on the Project for Emerging Nanotechnologies at the Woodrow Wilson Center. The project was established to help ensure that as nanotechnologies advance, possible risks are minimized, the public and consumers stay engaged and potential new benefits are realized. But in 2009 he left that role to become the first Director of the University of Michigan Risk Science Center–a position that carries with it the responsibility of developing, for first time ever, a risk-assessment framework for rapidly developing technologies.

Free with general CAC admission (anyone bringing a ticket stub from Know Theatre’s A Wrinkle in Time gets 2-for-1 admission that day)

Image: Andrew Maynard

More information: 513.345.8400 contemporaryartscenter.org

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