We all recognize wisdom, but defining it is more elusive. (Possessing it? Harder still…) Writer Stephen S. Hall, author of Wisdom: From Philosophy to Neuroscience, explores the science of wisdom, from its earliest consideration in the fifth century B.C. to its modern manifestations in education, politics, and the workplace. And while work in the last 50 years has begun to shed light on the biology of cognitive traits associated with wisdom—and how we might cultivate it—Hall discovers that despite our best efforts, this essential human capacity continues to defy easy understanding. Presented as part of Seattle Science Lectures, with Pacific Science Center and University Book Store. Series sponsored by Microsoft.
Tickets are $5 at
www.brownpapertickets.com or 800/838-3006, and at the door beginning at 6:30 pm. Town Hall members receive priority seating. Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street.
Based in part on a 2007 article in The New York Times Magazine, Hall offers a meditation on the seeds of wisdom, aspects of wisdom in everyday life, and the future of wisdom in our complex society. We learn how wisdom became the provenance of philosophy and religion through its embodiment in individuals such as Buddha, Confucius, and Jesus and how it has consistently been a catalyst for social change.
Hall explores the neural mechanisms for wise decision making; the conflict between the emotional and cognitive parts of the brain; the development of compassion, humility, and empathy; the effect of adversity and the impact of early-life stress on the development of wisdom; and how we can learn to optimize our future choices and future selves.
He has received numerous awards, including the “Science in Society Award” in 2004 for book writing from the National Association of Science Writers for Merchants of Immortality, which was also a finalist for a Los Angeles Times Book Award, and the William B. Coley Award in 1998 from the Cancer Research Institute for A Commotion in the Blood. His work has also been widely anthologized, including in Best American Science Writing, A Literary Companion to Science, and The Beholder’s Eye.
Between 1997 and 2000, Hall served as an editor of the New York Times Magazine as well as a Contributing Writer, and has published numerous cover stories for the magazine. In addition to the New York Times, his work has appeared in the Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, New York, Science, The New Yorker, Technology Review, Scientific American, Discover, Smithsonian, and many other national publications. His essays and criticism have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, Orion, and the Hastings Center Report.
In addition to writing, Hall teaches science journalism and explanatory journalism at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, and also conducts writing workshops for scientists-in-training at New York University’s Carter Institute of Journalism. His many public appearances include a keynote address at the Keystone Symposium, grand rounds at university medical centers, lectures at the Hastings Center, and readings that have been featured on “Book TV.”
About the series
Seattle Science Lectures feature compelling discussions by leading researchers and authors of some of the most intriguing issues in science today. Next in the series is Charles Emmerson on Monday, March 22; Hugh Raffles on Thursday, April 8; David Goodstein on Wednesday, April 14; Paul Davies on Monday, April 19; Bill McKibben on Tuesday, April 20; Terry McDermott on Wednesday, April 21; and Jeff Goodell on Monday, April 26. More events to be added soon. The Seattle Science Lectures are presented by Town Hall with University Book Store and Pacific Science Center. Sponsored by Microsoft.
About Town Hall
A vibrant gathering place in an historic building in the heart of downtown, Town Hall Seattle fosters cultural expression and the exchange of ideas through arts, education, humanities, and civic programs. We exist to reflect and inspire this region's best impulses--toward creativity, empathy, expansive thinking, and an ever-widening conception of community. Formed collaboratively in 1998 as a shared venue, Town Hall Seattle extends the reach and capacity of our Presenting Partners and occasional users with an accomplished producing and promotional structure, complementing their work with self-produced offerings that complete the tapestry of Seattle's cultural life.
Now in its tenth year, Town Hall prides itself on its dual role as a venue and a producer, a responsive host, and a catalytic cultural force, serving nearly 100,000 artists and audiences in 330+ events annually. The 2009-2010 Season is made possible by the generous support of 4Culture, ArtsFund, Seattle Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs, The Seattle Foundation, and Washington State Arts Commission. Season sponsorship by Sorrento Hotel. Media sponsorship provided by KUOW 94.9 FM, The Stranger, and ParentMap.
Who: Stephen S. Hall: ‘Wisdom’
What: Seattle Science Lectures
Where: Downstairs at Town Hall; enter on Seneca Street
When: Monday, March 15 at 7:30 pm
How much: Tickets are $5 and are available at
www.brownpapertickets.com, 800/838-3006 and at the door beginning at 6:30. Town Hall members receive priority seating.
