WORLD SCIENCE FOUNDATION
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Mission Statement
The World Science Festival’s mission is to cultivate and sustain a general public informed by the content of science, inspired by its wonder, convinced of its value, & prepared to engage with its implications for the future. Through dynamic year-round events that reach audiences across the globe, WSF puts the public in dialogue with some of the world’s foremost scientific minds, including Nobel Laureates, Pulitzer Prize winners, & people on the cutting edge of scientific fields including mathematics, quantum physics, robotics, & neuroscience. Through discussions, artistic productions, online courses, & interactive events, WSF produces creative programs that make complex scientific information accessible & engaging to audiences of all ages. All of these demonstrate science’s importance to our lives & excite young audiences about pursuing science-related careers. Since its inaugural 2008 season, WSF has reached over 1.3 million people through these endeavors, both in person & online.
About This Cause
The World Science Festival presents year-round programs that bring science’s latest discoveries and advances to the general public, presented by some of the world’s leading scientists, researchers, and scientific minds. The Festival’s novel programming casts science in a new light – revealing it to be thrilling and transformative, entertaining and enriching, and of prime importance to our lives. All programming culminates in an annual Festival, in late May or early June, throughout the five boroughs of New York City. Hailed as “a new cultural institution” by the New York Times, the Festival will include over 50 programs and reach an enthusiastic audience representing all levels of scientific backgrounds, from novices to experts. Past Festival seasons have featured scientific and cultural notables including Glenn Close, E.O. Wilson, John Lithgow, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Sir Paul Nurse, Harold Varmus, Yo-Yo Ma, Steven Weinberg, Eric Lander, Steven Chu, Chuck Close, Richard Leakey, Bobby McFerrin, Sylvia Earle, Anna Deavere Smith, Oliver Sacks, Charlie Kaufman, Bill T. Jones, and John Hockenberry, and many others. Festival programming is designed to radically transform public perception of science, shifting this discipline from the outskirts of society to the cultural center. Programs include the Big Ideas and Salon series and the On the Shoulders of Giants address, which provide opportunities for scientists, authors, researchers, and other thinkers to discuss concepts such as quantum reality, mathematics, the origins of the universe, and humanity’s past, present, and future. WSF also presents dynamic staged productions that live at the intersection of science and art. Past productions have included: “Icarus at the Edge of Time,” a multidisciplinary work with music by Philip Glass that sets the classic Greek myth in outer space; “Spooky Action: The Drama of Quantum Mechanics,” a piece by WSF Co-Founder Brian Greene that explores the history of quantum physics; and “Dear Albert,” a play about Albert Einstein’s professional and personal life written by Alan Alda. All productions engage audiences with complex scientific theories in a compelling and immediately accessible way, while also being visually dazzling and entertaining pieces of artwork in and of themselves. Beyond the Festival, WSF offers opportunities for science enthusiasts to engage and grapple with ideas and questions throughout the year. Programming includes World Science U, online courses for high school students, college students, and lifelong learners to explore the wonders of science guided by world-renowned scientists, all available free of charge. Videos are layered by depth of exploration and cover such topics as physics, black holes, unification theories, and dark energy. These courses are taught by leaders in their respective fields and have included Robbert Dijkgraaf (Institute of Advanced Study), Alan Guth (MIT), Michael Turner (University of Chicago), Edward Frenkel (UC Berkeley), and many others. Programs also include Science and Story, a series that celebrates science in books, films, and theatrical works, enabling audiences to hear directly from writers, thinkers, and other creatives about how they craft stories that bring the vitality of science to life. One of WSF’s primary objectives is to foster literacy in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and inspire young audiences to consider future careers in science. According to the U.S. Commerce Department in 2011, STEM job creation over the next 10 years will outpace non-STEM jobs significantly, 17 percent to 9.8 percent. This is not matched by an equal interest in or proficiency in STEM areas; only 32% of 8th graders performed at or above science proficiency in 2011. In spite of these dispiriting statistics, WSF believes providing students with early, exciting engagement and interaction with real-life scientists can spark a lifelong love of science. Programs include: Scientist’s Apprentice, where students and renowned scientists to complete interactive projects together; Citizen Science-on-Site, where the public helps scientists conduct research throughout the city; Pioneers in Science, where high school students interact with Nobel Laureates and renowned thinkers both in-person and via video conferencing; Cool Jobs, which introduces students to people with some of the most exciting scientific careers; and Alan Alda’s Flame Challenge, where experts explore a science concept using language accessible to all ages. Through all of these initiatives, WSF strives to fill the significant lack of opportunities in our contemporary society for people to engage with science in order to better understand our relationships to each other, to technology, to our world, and to the cosmos.