The problem of the unknowable future is matched by the problem of the unchangeable past. Both are solved by the dream of time travel.
The peculiarities and paradoxes of time travel are explored in imaginative detail in science fiction, even though time travel doesn’t exist, or maybe especially because it doesn’t exist. Grappling with the idea helps humans engage with a dimension of profound human powerlessness and also invites deeper thinking about what actually can be known about the past and what actually can be done about the future. James Gleick’s meditation on time covers how time is experienced psychologically, how artists such as Borges, Proust, and Wells create with it, how religions conjure eternity, how cosmology probes forking universes, and how so much comes down to the nature of “now.” Science historian Gleick is the author of Chaos (1987), Isaac Newton (2003), The Information (2011), and Time Travel: A History (2016). [Note: The talk is already sold out. Most walkups get in. Also consider watching the life-stream, which is edited in real time like the eventual videos.] "Time Travel," James Gleick, SFJAZZ Center, Hayes Valley, San Francisco, 7pm, Monday June 5. The show starts promptly at 7:30pm. • Seminar at SFJAZZ Center <http://www.sfjazz.org/visit/directions> 201 Franklin Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 • Tune into the live audio stream <http://longnow.org/live/> for Long Now Members at 7:30 PT - become a member <https://longnow.org/membership/> for just $8 a month. Share this talk: James Gleick, "Time Travel" Long Now talk on 6/5 https://goo.gl/caUYxM <https://goo.gl/caUYxM> Talks coming up: July 24 (Mon.) - Carolyn Porco, Looking for Life in the Solar System <http://longnow.org/seminars/02017/jul/24/searching-life-solar-system/> August 7 (Mon.) - Nicky Case, Seeing Whole Systems Sept 6 (Wed.) - David Grinspoon, Earth in Human Hands Nov 20 (Mon.) - Elena Bennett, Seeds of a Good Anthropocene <http://longnow.org/seminars/02017/nov/20/seeds-good-anthropocene/> High-quality videos of the talks and other benefits (such as priority tickets) are available to Long Now members. Membership, which starts at $8/month ($96/year), helps support the series and other Long Now projects. Joinable here <https://longnow.org/membership/>. This is one of a monthly series of Seminars About Long-term Thinking (SALT) organized by The Long Now Foundation. Free audio and my summaries of all previous talks are available for download here <http://longnow.org/seminars/> (or stay up to date with the podcast here <http://longnow.org/seminars/podcast/>). You'll find a range of long-term thinking items on our Blog <http://blog.longnow.org/> (RSS <http://feeds.feedburner.com/longnow>). If you would like to be notified by email (like this one) of forthcoming talks, go here <http://list.longnow.org/mailman/listinfo/salt> to sign up online. Any questions, contact Danielle Engelman at Long Now -- 415-561-6582 x1 <tel:415-561-6582%20x1> or danie...@longnow.org <mailto:danie...@longnow.org>. --Stewart Brand s...@longnow.org <mailto:s...@longnow.org> -- The Long Now Foundation -- http://longnow.org/ <http://longnow.org/> Seminars & downloads -- http://longnow.org/seminars/ <http://longnow.org/seminars/> Interval Events -- http://theinterval.org/events/ <http://theinterval.org/events/> •Twitter <https://twitter.com/longnow> - up to the minute info on tickets and events •Long Now Blog <http://blog.longnow.org/> - daily updates on events and ideas •Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/longnow> - stay in touch through our fan page
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