Will Innovation Save Us?
2014, Summit Innovation The Shock of the Possible, Media + Information, Future of Work, Cities
SFU Public Square, in partnership with Vancity and Vancouver Foundation, was proud to present Will Innovation Save Us? - an evening of thought-provoking discussion featuring Ray Kurzweil and Richard Florida, moderated by CBC's Amanda Lang.
The world is changing, and the rate of change is accelerating faster than ever before. How will communities and people survive and prosper in uncertain times ahead? An authentic curiosity and open discussion about innovation encourages us to keep our eyes wide open and imagine the future. What kind of life do we want for our children? How will we address the world’s great social, economic and environmental challenges? What kind of creative people do we need to meet these challenges? How can new technologies such as artificial intelligence enrich and expand human capabilities? Will we merge human biology with technology? Should we?
Talking about innovation raises important questions to which we must find answers. Before it’s too late. Prompting the ultimate question: Will innovation save us?
7:00 p.m. (PT)
Queen Elizabeth Theatre
649 Cambie St, Vancouver
About Innovation: The Shock of the Possible
Ray Kurzweil
Ray Kurzweil is one of the world’s leading inventors, thinkers, and futurists, with a thirty-year track record of accurate predictions. Called "the restless genius" by The Wall Street Journal and "the ultimate thinking machine" by Forbes magazine, Kurzweil was selected as one of the top entrepreneurs by Inc. magazine, which described him as the "rightful heir to Thomas Edison." PBS selected him as one of the "sixteen revolutionaries who made America." Want more? Read a full biography of Ray Kurzweil.
Richard Florida
Richard Florida is “as close to a household name as it is possible for an urban theorist to be in America,” according to The Economist, while MIT Technology Review recently named him one of the world’s most influential thinkers. He is author of several global best sellers, including the award-winning The Rise of the Creative Class. TIME magazine recognized his Twitter feed as one of the 140 most influential in the world. Florida is currently the Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, Global Research Professor at New York University, and founder of the Creative Class Group. Want more? Read a full biography of Richard Florida.
Moderator
Amanda Lang
Amanda Lang is the former senior business correspondent for CBC News and co-host of CBC TV’s Lang and O’Leary Exchange, with a front-row seat to the world’s daily top stories in business, politics, and economics. Amanda is a veteran moderator, and author of the bestseller The Power of Why: Simple Questions That Lead to Success, a book that shows readers how to reignite curiosity at any age to become more innovative and productive. Want more? Read the biography of Amanda Lang.
Creative but Poor? Yep, the ‘Creative Class’ Has Its Class Divide — Geoff Dembicki, The Tyee (October 24, 2014)
The future according to Richard Florida and Ray Kurzweil — Blaine Kyllo, The Georgia Straight (October 23, 2014)
Opinion: SFU Public Square tackles innovation — Andrew Petter, Vancouver Sun (October 18, 2014)
SFU Summit brings together world leaders and the folks next door to talk innovation — Shawn Conner, Vancouver Sun (October 16, 2014)
Stephen Hume: will tech innovation be our humanity’s unmaking? — Stephen Hume, Vancouver Sun (October 16, 2014)
‘Innovation’ Is Everywhere, But What Does It Mean? — Geoff Dembicki, The Tyee (September 27, 2014)
SFU Public Square Founding Council Member
Stephen A. Jarislowsky
Media Sponsor
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