Human Curiosity
Thursday, September 14 - 7:00 PM Bigelow Physics Building, BPB 102
Please note the location change.
Mario Livio
Internationally known astrophysicist and bestselling author
The ability to ask "why?" makes us uniquely human. Curiosity drives basic scientific research, is the engine behind creativity in all disciplines from the arts to technology, and a necessary ingredient in every form of storytelling (literature, film, TV, or even a simple conversation) that delights rather than bores. In a fascinating and entertaining lecture, renowned astrophysicist and author Mario Livio surveys and interprets cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience that aims at exploring and understanding the origin and mechanisms of human curiosity. As part of his research into the subject, Livio examined in detail the personalities of two individuals who arguably represent the most curious minds to have ever existed: Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Feynman. He also interviewed 9 exceptionally curious people living today, among them linguist Noam Chomsky and the virtuoso lead guitarist of the rock band Queen, Brian May (who also holds a PhD in astrophysics), and presents fascinating conclusions from these conversations
Co-sponsored by the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Prof. Livio is an Adjunct Professor in Physics & Astronomy at UNLV. He is the author of numerous books and academic papers, including his latest: Why? What Makes Us Curious. Simon & Schuster. 2017. ISBN 978-1476792095. He was interviewed recently on NPR's Talk of the Nation Science Friday.
