Past Events

When you hear the term "space" do you think of aliens or the cramped urban landscape of Boston? At BostonTalks, local architects and astrophysicists cover both ideas of space. Curiosity Desk's Edgar B Herwick III hosts a discussion of space that includes architectural designer Aeron Hodges on living small, Emily O'Neil on the arts community in Fort Point, and molecular astrophysicist Clara Sousa-Silva considering if we share the universe with other life. (Image: [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/photo/sky-earth-space-working-2156/ "Pexels"))

As we witness an outpouring of public expression about racial differences in the news and via social media, we sense a tension over the nature of lawful civic engagement and around the obligations between citizens and their government. Young adults especially are raising fundamental questions about the responsiveness of American democracy. As part of its mission, the Museum of African American History will use this forum to provide opportunities for people to engage in constructive dialogue about civil and human rights issues. The conversation with Joy Reid, political analyst for MSNBC and host of “AM Joy,” and Jelani Cobb, Professor of Journalism at Columbia University, will be moderated by Callie Crossley, host of Under the Radar with Callie Crossley on WGBH Radio. In view of the current social climate in this country, MAAH will produce a series of panel discussions entitled _Millennium Conversation: Race in the Public Dialogue_ through which we are asking activists, journalists, and academic and business leaders to address the current societal issues.

Directly after the [2017 UN Conference on Climate Change in Bonn](https://www.cop23.de/en/ "2017 UN Conference on Climate Change in Bonn"), Joel Clement, environmental scientist and former employee of the Department of the Interior, shares his story about resigning and filing a whistleblower complaint against the Trump Administration's actions of suddenly relocating over 50 employees. Following Clement's account is a conversation about climate change policy with environmental scientists H. Curtis Spalding, Professor at Brown University, and Andrew Rosenberg, Director for Science and Democracy at [Union of Concerned Scientists](http://www.ucsusa.org/ "Union of Concered Scientists"). This talk is moderated by Timothy Weiskeli. (Image: [Flicker](https://www.flickr.com/photos/38709469@N08/8699594602 "Flicker")/Sébastien Duyck/CC BY-ND 2.0)

Philosopher, cultural theorist, and film critic **Mladen Dolar** will host two pillars of modern philosophy to talk about their latest works. **Slavoj Žižek** will break down his thinking on "the empty spaces between philosophy, psychoanalysis, and the critique of political economy" laid out in his book _Incontinence of the Void: Economico-Philosophical Spandrels_. **Alenka Zupančič** shares her exploration on what kind satisfaction we get from sex and how it might be replaced with satisfaction from equally sexual activities such as talking or writing, painting or praying. Her new book is titled _What IS Sex?_ Image by Thesupermat - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28518438

First watch the PBS FRONTLINE and NOVA teams demonstrate the amazing opportunities that exist now to tell stories with Virtual Reality. Then move to the Future of Cities portion of the WGBH IdeaLab with The Partnership for Southern Equity’s Nathaniel Smith, Nature Conservancy water expert Giulio Boccaletti, and Ford Foundation sociologist Xavier de Souza Briggs. [Innovation IdeaLab](http://forum-network.org/series/future-tense-future-perfect-2017-wgbh-innovation-idea-lab/ "") explores new ideas from thought leaders, scientists and grassroots activists presenting to WGBH documentary producers from national television programs, children’s programs, digital initiatives, radio/broadband series, independent public media producers and interested foundation representatives. Day One features The Brain Beat: Building Children’s Brains, moderated by journalist Arun Rath. Day Two features sessions on the Future of Nature, Future of Work, Future of Equity: Engaging New Voices, and Future of Cities, moderated by journalists Miles O’Brien and Kara Miller.

In this portion of [the 7th annual Innovation IdeaLab](http://forum-network.org/series/future-tense-future-perfect-2017-wgbh-innovation-idea-lab/ "series link"), titled "Future of Equity: Engaging New Voices" we hear from **The Message Movement’s** Juma Inniss, **Climate Justice Alliance** Angela Adrar, **Thunder Valley/Oglala Lakota Nation** community organizer Nick Tilsen, and youth evangelical climate activist Kyle Meyaard-Schaap. In November 2017, the Innovation IdeaLab explored new ideas from thought leaders, scientists and grassroots activists presenting to WGBH documentary producers from national television programs, children’s programs, digital initiatives, radio/broadband series, independent public media producers and interested foundation representatives. Day One began with The Brain Beat: Building Children’s Brains, moderated by journalist Arun Rath. Day Two offered sessions on the Future of Nature, Future of Work, Future of Equity: Engaging New Voices, and Future of Cities, moderated by journalists Miles O’Brien and Kara Miller. Photo: _Climate Justice Alliance_

In this part of the [WGBH 7th annual Innovation IdeaLab,](http://forum-network.org/series/future-tense-future-perfect-2017-wgbh-innovation-idea-lab/ "series link") explore the Future of Nature with Biomimicry Institute’s Janine Benyus, US Navy Admiral/climate expert David Titley, and Conservationist Harvey Locke. In November 2017, the Innovation IdeaLab explored new ideas from thought leaders, scientists and grassroots activists presenting to WGBH documentary producers from national television programs, children’s programs, digital initiatives, radio/broadband series, independent public media producers and interested foundation representatives. Day One began with The Brain Beat: Building Children’s Brains, moderated by journalist Arun Rath. Day Two offered sessions on the Future of Nature, Future of Work, Future of Equity: Engaging New Voices, and Future of Cities, moderated by journalists Miles O’Brien and Kara Miller.

[The 7th annual WGBH Innovation IdeaLab](http://forum-network.org/series/future-tense-future-perfect-2017-wgbh-innovation-idea-lab/ "series link") talk on the Future of Jobs and Work features MIT’s Andrew McAfee, National Domestic Worker Alliance’s Palak Shah, and New America’s Kristin Sharp In November 2017, the Innovation IdeaLab explored new ideas from thought leaders, scientists and grassroots activists presenting to WGBH documentary producers from national television programs, children’s programs, digital initiatives, radio/broadband series, independent public media producers and interested foundation representatives. Day One began with The Brain Beat: Building Children’s Brains, moderated by journalist Arun Rath. Day Two offered sessions on the Future of Nature, Future of Work, Future of Equity: Engaging New Voices, and Future of Cities, moderated by journalists Miles O’Brien and Kara Miller.

The second session of the [WGBH 7th annual Innovation IdeaLab](http://forum-network.org/series/future-tense-future-perfect-2017-wgbh-innovation-idea-lab/ "series link") continues with with _The Brain Beat: Building Children’s Brains_, moderated by journalist Arun Rath. In this discussion, MIT neuroscientist John Gabrieli, Nature Fix author Florence Williams, and Temple University’s Laurence Steinberg talk about adolescence. In November 2017, the Innovation IdeaLab explored new ideas from thought leaders, scientists and grassroots activists presenting to WGBH documentary producers from national television programs, children’s programs, digital initiatives, radio/broadband series, independent public media producers and interested foundation representatives.

The first session of the [WGBH 7th annual Innovation IdeaLab](http://forum-network.org/series/future-tense-future-perfect-2017-wgbh-innovation-idea-lab/ "series link") starts with _The Brain Beat: Building Children’s Brains_, moderated by journalist Arun Rath. In this discussion, Harvard’s Jack Shonkoff and Ron Ferguson talk about Early Childhood Development. Innovation IdeaLab explores new ideas from thought leaders, scientists and grassroots activists presenting to WGBH documentary producers from national television programs, children’s programs, digital initiatives, radio/broadband series, independent public media producers and interested foundation representatives. Day One features The Brain Beat: Building Children’s Brains, moderated by journalist Arun Rath. Day Two features sessions on the Future of Nature, Future of Work, Future of Equity: Engaging New Voices, and Future of Cities, moderated by journalists Miles O’Brien and Kara Miller. _Photo: Ronald Ferguson_