Science on Screen finale

posted by Michael Zoldessy on April 24, 2009 at 7:51 am

BROOKLINE, MA — The Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, Massachusetts wraps up the 2008-2009 season of its popular Science on Screen series on Monday, May 11 at 7:00 p.m. with a special program, An Evening with Ray Kurzweil. The celebrated futurist, inventor and entrepreneur will give a multi-media presentation based on his best-selling book The Singularity is Near and show a trailer of the upcoming film of the same name. Audience members will also get a sneak peek at “Transcendent Man”, director Barry Ptolemy’s documentary charting Kurzweil’s journey to bring the ideas from The Singularity is Near to a worldwide audience. A question-and-answer session with Kurzweil will follow the program.

According to Kurzweil, the onset of the 21st century ushers in an era in which the very nature of what it means to be human will be both enriched and challenged as our species breaks the shackles of its genetic legacy and achieves inconceivable heights of intelligence, material progress, and longevity. While the social and philosophical ramifications of these changes will be profound, and the threats they pose considerable, Kurzweil will present an inspiring vision of our ultimate destiny.

Ray Kurzweil has been described as “the restless genius" by the Wall Street Journal. One of the leading inventors of our time, he has worked in a variety of areas, including music synthesis, speech and character recognition, reading technology, virtual reality and cybernetic art. All of these pioneering technologies continue today as market leaders.

He is the recipient of the National Medal of Technology, 18 honorary doctorates, awards from three US presidents, seven national and international film awards, and many other honors. He has written five books, of which four have been national best sellers. The Singularity is Near was a New York Times best seller and was the #1 book on Amazon in both science and philosophy.

Tickets available online at www.coolidge.org or at the Coolidge Corner Theatre box office, located at 290 Harvard Street in Brookline. For more information, visit www.coolidge.org/science or call 617/734-2500.

Science on Screen is co-presented by the Museum of Science, Boston and New Scientist magazine.

Theaters in this post

• Coolidge Corner Theatre