World Science Festival in NYC in June

American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS)
1444 I (Eye) Street NW, Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: (202) 628-1500
http://www.aibs.org/

For Immediate Release: 13 May 2010

For more information, visit:
http://www.worldsciencefestival.com

40 unique programs throughout New York City

New York, NY - The best and brightest minds in science will descend on New York City for the 2010 World Science Festival from June 2-6. The highest profile event of its kind in the United States is now in its third year and will feature 40 unique programs in scientific disciplines ranging from astronomy, physics and genetics to neuroscience, robotics and mathematics. The Festival’s programs will also integrate traditional arts disciplines – dance, theatre, music and the visual arts – to underscore that science is everywhere.

The 2010 World Science Festival kicks off with a gala performance at Alice Tully Hall honoring legendary physicist Stephen Hawking. Among the other highlights of the five-day event: the official New York City introduction of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, the powerful successor to the famed Hubble Space Telescope, which will launch in 2014; the announcement of the 2010 Kavli Prize laureates; Dr. Sylvia Earle, legendary marine biologist, and Fabian Cousteau, grandson of the famed oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, guide audiences into the endless possibilities of oceanic exploration, with a look at new technologies transforming how we investigate the oceans. Participants will see never-before-released “making-of” footage from Jacques Perrin’s revolutionary film, “Oceans;” and the world premiere of Icarus at the Edge Of Time, an orchestral work composed by Philip Glass and based on the children’s book written by Festival co-founder and Columbia University physics professor Brian Greene.

The Festival will conclude with the World Science Festival Youth and Family Street Fair in Washington Square Park on June 6. This free, day-long public event showcases the intrigue and pure fun of science via a non-stop program of interactive exhibits, experiments, games, and shows, from Web-chats with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station to meeting scientists with “cool jobs.”

“Science is the greatest of all adventure stories, a fact that often gets lost in the science classroom,” said Festival co-founder Brian Greene. “The World Science Festival is dedicated to bringing science to general audiences in a new way, revealing the excitement, wonder, and inspiration of cutting-edge discovery.”