Tim Urban

Sessions:

A late night chat with an astrophysicist: the universe, exoplanets, aliens, and more

The New York Times described MIT astrophysicist Sara Seager as “the woman who might find us another Earth.” The authority on exoplanets, along with <em>Wait But Why</em> writer Tim Urban, will review possible explanations for why proof of alien life has proved elusive despite the discovery of thousands of planets in our galaxy, a conundrum commonly known as the Fermi Paradox.

A leading liberal thinker explains how the Left lost its way

Our anxious times have exposed a disturbing paradox in liberalism. While liberal thinkers and activists have mobilized to take on the increasingly fraught battle for social justice, some have also drifted toward the polarizing intolerance they claim to oppose. Tim Urban, whose recent TED Talk has been viewed nearly 15 million times, explains how thoughtful progressives can continue fighting for equality while preserving the liberal drive toward open-minded debate.

Superintelligence: the opportunities, ethics, and implications of AI

Are we building technology that will ultimately undermine us? How do we approach the ethics of AI? And what should be done to govern it? Nick Bostrom, an Oxford professor and the director of the Future of Humanity Institute, will discuss various future shocks with Tim Urban, the author of Wait But Why and a popular long-form internet pontificator.