Meet the Founders
Just where did the idea for the World Science Festival come from? What do we hope to achieve? And where is all this meant to go? Find out in this interview with the Festival’s founders, Columbia physics professor Brian Greene and broadcast journalist Tracy Day.
Tracy Day, Brian Greene
Just what is the World Science Festival?
Brian: A celebration of science. We want to bring the public together with many of the world’s greatest minds in science and culture. There are going to be events covering a wide range of science with top scientists, the best popularizers, and up-and-coming research stars. We are particularly excited about the Art & Science programs in which there will be music, theater, film and performance art that has a science at its core where. Finally, there will be a vibrant Youth and Family program — with things like “Science of the Imagination” with the Walt Disney Imagineers, and the “Science of Sports” that we are producing in partnership with the National Basketball Association.
Tracy: What’s special about this Festival is that we are putting together great scientists with creative and seasoned producers. By doing that, we can go a long way towards creating live programs that convey real science, with complete scientific integrity, but in a way that realizes the capacity of science to excite and inspire.
Who’s your audience?
Tracy: Who isn’t? There are many avenues into science, and we have an opportunity to open them, and to invite people in. For instance, as Brian was mentioning, we have events that are geared toward an audience that would generally not be drawn to a science event, but is drawn towards compelling arts and cultural events. When we present programs based on music, theater, film, or dance, carefully constructed with a natural link to science, we hope that many people will come for the art, and leave with the science.
Brian: In my experience, when people are presented science in a way that is accessible and compelling and inspirational, they not only love it, but they also find it opens up a whole new universe of thought, a whole connection to the world around them that they find enormously enriching. The goal of the festival is to increase the number of people that have that experience.
Will there be anything special for a young audience?
Tracy: Certainly! As Brian was mentioning, we have a Youth and Family program especially for kids and their families, including a spectacular Street Fair on Saturday, May 31 around Washington Square Park, with hands-on activities, exhibitions and performances for kids of all ages.
Brian: That is one of the most important parts of the Festival. As kids, we’re all curious; we all begin as scientists. Most of us lose that as we get older, we get intimidated by science. But in order to keep the scientific enterprise moving, we need kids to get excited about science, about taking our understanding to the next level.
Where did the idea for this festival come from?
Brian: In 2005, I was asked to speak at the science festival in Genoa. So Tracy and I traveled to Italy that fall, and the atmosphere in the city was amazing — the excitement at the lectures and in the streets was palpable. We realized that doing this in New York, on a grand scale, was a tremendous opportunity.
Tracy: Part of that realization was that there’s a way to institute a different model, where the events are highly produced. So often, when it comes to science, there is a sense that the content is so rich that all you need to do is put the scientists on stage and let them talk. And sometimes that’s really effective. But it can be hit or miss. With the decades I’ve spent as a broadcast journalist, I’ve realized that if one pays careful attention to the narrative arc of an event, to the sometimes delicate balance of voices, to relevant multimedia material, you can create programs that are both exciting and impactful.
Brian: Back in the U.S., we went to New York’s major universities and to potential funders, and the response was overwhelming. Over and over again, we heard: “I can’t believe this doesn’t already exist.” We’re in what is basically a century of science and technology, and America doesn’t have a festival that highlights and celebrates the power of science?
Both of you are putting a great amount of time and energy into this. Why?
Brian: Science plays a crucial role in the big issues that we’re facing now — when we’re talking about stem cells, global climate change, the search for alternative energy sources, dwindling resources, species extinction, all these issues are scientific at their core. I think it’s critical that we have a populace that at least has a familiarity with the basic science. But of equal importance, I know that when science is presented in the right way — a way that’s both accessible and entertaining while maintaining the integrity of the ideas — it’s tremendously exciting for people. I’ve seen people who never thought science was interesting totally turn a corner and become science enthusiasts — I’ve gotten letters from nine-year olds: This is what I want to do with my life! And I’ve gotten similar letters from 90 year olds. That’s the kind of impact this event can have.
Tracy: When producing shows like This Week with David Brinkley or Nightline, we would typically shy away from science — the thought being that generally speaking, people didn’t care. But the fact is, people really do care. It is just a matter of telling the stories of science, the heart-breaking near misses, the dramatic successes — and telling the stories well. There is such potential to change how people think about science, and there’s a critical need for that to happen.
Are you looking beyond 2008?
Brian: Definitely! The Festival itself will be an annual event. But we’re also developing year-round programming that will include educational outreach programs in the New York public schools. as well as a vibrant web presence. In short, we want to ignite a movement — nationwide, worldwide — in which science shifts from the cultural outskirts and migrates to the cultural center.
This post was written by Markus
Tags: Brian Greene, Tracy Day