The Will to Meaning: Seeking the “Why” of Our Existence

2017-18

At their core, multiple branches of knowledge have emerged in response to two age-old questions: First, why are we here? And second, how can we lead a meaningful life? Historically, these questions were the province of religion and spirituality, but with the declining influence of religious traditions and waning academic interest in the humanities, we have been left with a vacuum of meaning.

Recently, however, we have witnessed a resurgence in the quest for meaning. Scientists are now beginning to broach questions of meaning and purpose, drawing on empirical evidence from a variety of fields. This three-part series at the New York Academy of Sciences brings together leading scientists and scholars to explore the meaning of life through the lens of scientific inquiry.

 

  • The Power of Meaning: The Quest for an Existential Roadmap

    • Steve Paulson Journalist and Executive Producer, TTBOOK
    • Jay Lombard Neurologist and Co-Founder of Genomind
    • Massimo Pigliucci Professor of Philosophy, City College of New York
    • Michael Ruse Professor Philosophy, Florida State University
    • Emily Esfahani Smith Author, Speaker & Journalist
    • Tuesday, October 10, 2017
    • 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
    • The New York Academy of Sciences
      7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor
    • Watch Details

  • The Story of Life: Critical Insights from Evolutionary Biology

    • Steve Paulson Journalist and Executive Producer, TTBOOK
    • Melanie Chang Adjunct Professor of Anthropology, Portland State University
    • Ian Tattersall Paleoanthropologist and Curator Emeritus, American Museum of Natural History
    • Simon Conway Morris Professor of Evolutionary Palaeobiology, University of Cambridge
    • Thursday, December 7, 2017
    • 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
    • The New York Academy of Sciences
      7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor
    • Watch Details

  • A Touch of Awe: Crafting Meaning from the Wonder of the Cosmos

    • Steve Paulson Journalist and Executive Producer, TTBOOK
    • Paul Davies Physicist, Cosmologist, and Astrobiologist, Arizona State University
    • Ard Louis Physicist Professor of Theoretical Physics, University of Oxford
    • Lucianne Walkowicz Astronomer, Adler Planetarium in Chicago
    • Wednesday, February 7, 2018
    • 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
    • The New York Academy of Sciences
      7 World Trade Center, 250 Greenwich Street, 40th Floor
    • Watch Details

Annals

This volume brings together leading scientists and scholars to explore the meaning and purpose of our existence through an array of interdisciplinary perspectives.

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