The second annual World Science Festival will be taking place in New York next month. I’ll be moderating a panel called, “Wall-E’s World: Designs for an Invisible Footprint.”
We’ll be talking about cities, trash, space travel, and the search for a sustainable future. Here’s the line-up for the panel, from the event page:
Mitchell Joachim: Architect and urban designer Mitchell Joachim is a partner in Terrefuge, a New York-based organization for philanthropic architecture and ecological design. His design of a compact, stackable “city car,” developed with the MIT Smart Cities Group, won the 2007 Time Magazine Best Invention of the Year. Joachim is on the faculty at Columbia University and Parsons School of Design.
Christopher McKay: Chris received his Ph.D. in AstroGeophysics from the University of Colorado in 1982 and has been a research scientist with the NASA Ames Research Center since that time. His current research focuses on the evolution of the solar system and the origin of life. He is also actively involved in planning for future Mars missions including human exploration.
Ben Schwegler: Walt Disney Imagineering R+D’s Chief Scientist Ben Schwegler invents and builds new technologies that make theme parks and resorts the stuff of dreams and adventure. The creator of the Simulation-based Design Group, he is particularly interested in the development of sustainable engineering techniques. He was instrumental in the creation of the most energy efficient theme park ever built as well as a new generation of environmentally-friendly fireworks.
We’ll be speaking on Thursday, June 11, 6:30 PM-8:00 PM, at The Museum of Arts and Design.
Originally published May 12, 2009. Copyright 2009 Carl Zimmer.