Simons Foundation Presents – Sci-Fi: More than Fiction?

Simons Foundation, 160 Fifth Avenue, Gerald D. Fishbach Auditorium, 2nd Floor, New York, NY, 10010

Cutting-edge physics can often seem like it operates beyond the realms of possibility. For example, scientists grapple with big questions around dark energy, quantum crystals and what happens in a black hole. But where science stops, our imaginations take over.

For over a century, the sci-fi genre has borrowed scientific concepts to construct narratives of possible futures. As a result, it has given life to the unimaginable and has undoubtedly served as inspiration for people all around the planet, including scientists.

This relationship leads us to wonder, how does science inspire fiction? And can it sometimes be the other way around?

Join us as we explore the blurred lines between science and fiction through the lens of television and the longest-running science show, BBC’s “Horizon.”

From Arthur C. Clarke to Stephen Hawking, Radiolab’s Molly Webster will guide our journey in revisiting some of the unseen archives with Steve Crabtree, executive producer at the BBC and former editor of the show, and one of our quantum physicists, LaToya Anderson, who was inspired to pursue a career in physics by her love of “Star Trek.”

EVENT SCHEDULE
5:30 p.m. Doors open
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. In Conversation
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. Reception

To attend this in-person event, you will need to register in advance and provide:

• Acceptable proof of vaccination
• Photo ID
• Eventbrite ticket confirmation email with QR code
• Simons Foundation Health Screening Questionnaire approval email

Guests are expected to complete these requirements each time they visit the Simons Foundation and entrance will not be granted without this documentation.

On-site registration will not be permitted. Walk-in entry will be denied.