Can the entire universe be explained with a single, unifying theory? This is perhaps the most fundamental question in all of science, and it may also be the most controversial.
The 2011 Isaac Asimov Memorial debate, moderated by Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson, featured a compelling discussion with six of the world’s leading voices on the subject: Dr. Katherine Freese, professor of physics at the University of Michigan; Dr. Jim Gates, professor of physics at the University of Maryland-College Park; Dr. Janna Levin, professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College; Dr. Marcello Gleiser, professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth College; Dr. Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University; and Dr. Lee Smolin, theoretical physicist at Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.
Click below for a video or to download a podcast of the debate, which took place at the Museum on March 7, 2011.
More than 900 people packed the American Museum of Natural History’s Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Theater on March 15 for the 10th annual Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate. This year, moderator Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, led a conversation about what the frontier of the manned space program should be, the Moon, Mars, or beyond?
The six preparing for the Tenth Asimov Debate at the American Museum of Natural History (l to r): Kenneth Ford, Robert Zubrin, Steven Squyres, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Paul Spudis, and Lester Lyles. Credit: R. Mickens/AMNH
Where to head next is one of the hottest topics for NASA’s manned program. Central to the subject are thorny issues that relate to science, launch hardware, international competition, national security, shrinking budgets, and political will. The Obama administration’s recent decision to delay indefinitely our next voyage to the Moon while simultaneously planning a new launch vehicle to take us out of low earth orbit made this Asimov Debate particularly topical and newsworthy. The debate also takes on special significance this year as part of a year-long celebration commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space and the 75th anniversary of the opening of the Hayden Planetarium.
Answering these critical questions were Kenneth Ford of the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Lester Lyles (ret) of the United States Air Force, Paul Spudis of the Lunar and Planetary Institute, Steven Squyres of Cornell University, and Robert Zubrin, founder of the Mars Society. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin made a surprise appearance at the end of the conversation after having listened to the debate. His comments were followed by a question and answer session with audience members and reporters.
The 10th annual Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate— Moon, Mars and Beyond: Where next for the manned space program? — will take place at the American Museum of Natural History on March 15, 2010 and is presented, in part, in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the opening of the Frederick Phineas and Sandra Priest Rose Center for Earth and Space and the 75th anniversary of the opening of the original Hayden Planetarium.
Where to go next is one of the hottest topics for NASA’s manned program. Should we proceed straight to Mars, should we return to the Moon, or should multiple destinations be the goal? Central to the debate are thorny issues that relate to science, launch hardware, international competition, national security, shrinking budgets, and political will. The Obama administration’s recent decision to indefinitely delay the next voyage to the Moon while simultaneously planning a new launch vehicle makes this Asimov Debate particularly topical and newsworthy.
Moderated by Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, this year’s Asimov Memorial Debate will include panelists Kenneth Ford (Institute for Human & Machine Cognition), Lester Lyles (United States Air Force), Paul Spudis (Lunar and Planetary Institute), Steven Squyres (Cornell University) and Robert Zubrin (Mars Society).
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