Third Thursday at CEIE | Dialogue

Respected science journalists Horgan and Revkin to discuss technology's future 

Andrew Revkin, author of The New York Times "Dot Earth" blog and senior fellow at Pace University, joins John Horgan, science journalist and director of the Center for Science Writings at Stevens Institute of Technology, to discuss technology's future. Hudson River environmentalist John Cronin will moderate the conversation on Thursday, September 20 at 7pm at Beacon Institute's Center for Environmental Innovation and Education at Denning's Point.

In their talk, Horgan and Revkin--both influential science journalists responsible for sharing the most current scientific thinking with hundreds of thousands of readers each month--will explore the question of whether we have reached the beginning or the end of technology.

Andrew Revkin, who was the first New York Times reporter to file stories and photos from the North Pole, has reported on the science and politics of climate change for over 20 years. An award-winning journalist and author of three books on environmental subjects, Revkin daily engages thousands in discussions on climate, biodiversity, population and related subjects via his NY Times “Dot Earth” blog, relying on the latest in internet technology to communicate with readers.

According to Revkin, “There is limitless potential for human minds — networked as a global community — to assess data, share ideas and think, using the power of all of our brains knitted together by the internet,” noting his optimism for a technological future.

Journalist and Stevens Institute professor John Horgan, in addition to contributing regular articles to The New York Times, Time, Newsweek, and The Washington Post, among others, also relies on internet technology to reach his audience, by writing the “Cross-check” blog for Scientific American and video chatting for Bloggingheads.tv.

Horgan views technology’s future from a different perspective. “I think right now, by far the most important technology field is energy,” states Horgan. “Obviously the technologies we have now are flawed. Enormous improvements will drastically reduce the cost of energy and also help take care of problems like global warming and other forms of pollution.”