Geneva, 28 July 2014. Following the success of the first TEDxCERN event last year, CERN1 will be hosting a second TEDx conference on 24 September 2014 on the theme “Forward: Charting the future with science”. Some 15 speakers will present their innovative and ambitious projects, which apply science to respond to problems facing the world today and prepare for those of tomorrow.
Their short but inspiring talks will be grouped into three themed sessions – "adapt", "change" and "create" – according to the stance that they take on confronting global challenges such as the efficient management of natural resources or extending access to healthcare to non-urban areas. Each session will include a performance that combines art and science from artists such as musician Nitin Sawhney and dancer Andrew Nemr. Particle physicist and BBC presenter Brian Cox will host the conference.
“Science is both the exploration of worlds beyond the imagination and a part of everyday life – a vital ingredient in confronting the challenges we face today and in the future,” said Cox. “TEDxCERN will showcase ideas at the frontiers of science from remarkable people.”
This year, a number of remarkable people, all experts in their respective fields – leading geneticist and molecular biologist Nina Fedoroff, entrepreneur and scientist Danielle Fong, nanomaterials researcher Julia Greer, mathematician and philosopher John Mighton and biotechnologist Hayat Sindi, to name just a few – will take the floor. Young talents will be brought to the fore – those for whom the central theme of TEDxCERN 2014, the world of tomorrow, is particularly relevant.
Places have been set aside for members of the general public wishing to attend the event at CERN. Those interested in attending can apply for tickets through the TEDxCERN website. Places are limited and will be allocated on a random basis. TEDxCERN can also be followed online.
Places have also been reserved for journalists in possession of a press card – please contact the CERN Press Office to request a place. Places are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Further information:
About TEDxCERN 2014:
More information as well as biographies of the speakers can be found at http://tedxcern.ch.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event
TEDx, grounded in the philosophy of “ideas worth spreading”, is a series of independently organised local conferences that offer individuals a shared TED-like experience. TEDx conferences feature a mixture of TED Talk videos and live speakers followed by passionate discussions among a small group. These events are branded as TEDx, where x = independently organised TED event. Each TEDx conference is organised independently but must comply with certain rules and the programme always follows the same general format.
About TED
TED is a non-profit organisation devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a four-day conference in California almost 30 years ago, TED has grown to support its mission with multiple initiatives. The two annual TED conferences invite the world's leading thinkers and doers to speak for 18 minutes on a diverse mix of topics. Many of these talks are then made available, free of charge, at TED.com. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Nandan Nilekani, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The TED2014 Conference was held in Vancouver, British Columbia, along with the TEDActive simulcast in neighbouring Whistler. TEDGlobal 2014 will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
TED's media initiatives include TED.com, where new TED Talks are posted daily; the Open Translation Project, which provides subtitles and interactive transcripts as well as translations from volunteers worldwide; the educational initiative TED-Ed; and TEDBooks, short e-books on powerful ideas. TED has established the annual TED Prize, where exceptional individuals with a wish to change the world get help to translate their wishes into action; TEDx, which supports individuals or groups in hosting local, self-organised TED-style events around the world; and the TED Fellows programme, helping world-changing innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities.
- Follow TED on Twitter at http://twitter.com/TEDTalks, or on Facebook at http:// www.facebook.com/TED
- For information about TED's upcoming conferences, visit http://www.ted.com/ registration
1. CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, is the world's leading laboratory for particle physics. Its headquarters are in Geneva. Its Member States are currently: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Romania is a Candidate for Accession and Serbia is an Associate Member State in the pre-stage to Membership. India, Japan, the Russian Federation, the United States of America, Turkey, the European Commission and UNESCO have Observer status.