New World Science Festival Events

From an email release, events for which one now can buy tickets are:

* Music and the Brain (May 31, 6 PM, Abyssinian Baptist Church, $18, Students $12): The Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir will join neurologist/author Oliver Sacks in an exploration of the power of music to inspire and uplift, and as an effective tool in the therapeutic process.

* Dear Albert (June 1, 7 PM, Columbia University, $40, Students $20): Written by Alan Alda, directed by Daniel Sullivan and featuring Anthony LaPaglia, this play delves into the treasure trove of letters written by Albert Einstein, his wives and friends, tracing an intimate and unfamiliar line across his life and work.

* Illuminating Genius (May 29, 8 PM, NYU, $30, Students $12): Choreographer and dancer Bill T. Jones and actor Michael York join neuroscientists V.S. Ramachandran, Nancy C. Andreasen, and David Eagleman to explore cutting edge research into the brain’s creative impulses.

* Invisible Reality (May 30, 8 PM, NYU, $30, Students $12): Join Alan Alda as he accompanies Brian Greene, Nobel Laureate William Phillips and other leading thinkers at the vanguard of quantum research on an accessible multimedia exploration of the astounding weirdness of the quantum world.

* What it Means to Be Human (May 31, 8 PM, NYU, $30, Students $12): Drawing on a range of disciplines, this provocative program looks at how discoveries in areas like fundamental physics, anthropology, and genomics are influencing our understanding of uniquely human characteristics. Participants include philosopher Daniel Dennett, artist Jonathan Harris, anthropologist Ian Tattersall, geneticist Francis Collins, philosopher Patricia Churchland, sociologist Nikolas Rose, and Nobel Laureates Harold Varmus and Paul Nurse.

Go here for more information.