Ray Kurzweil

Presents:
The Democratization of Disruptive Change

What does it mean to understand the brain? Where are we on the roadmap to this goal? What are the effective routes to progress - detailed modeling, theoretical effort, improvement of imaging and computational technologies? What predictions can we make? What are the consequences of materialization of such predictions - social, ethical? Kurzweil will address these questions and examine some of the most common criticisms of the exponential growth of information technology.

The H+ Summit was exceptional. The energy palpable and the speakers extraordinary. A wonderful range of thinkers, creators, and educators with a nice dose of philosophy woven into the mix. Big ideas. Big visions. H+ is on to something. I hope to attend the next H+ Summit and bring collegues. Thank you to Alex Lightman for the very good work.

-Kate McCallum

Alex Lightman

"The first H+ Summit exceeded my expectations with the quality, quantity and variety of presentations. What took me completely by surprise was how much fun people would have both in the conference and outside, how many people watched the live streaming (420,000!), and how much love people expressed for each other, and how many times people thanked me for the experience. The first H+ Summit was one of the best weekends of my life, and I think the H+ Summit at Harvard will be even better."

Alex is speaking at this year's summit:
The Rise of Citizen-Scientists in the Eversmarter World

Andrew Hessel

Presents:
Altered Carbon: The Emerging Biological Diamond Age

Carbon is abundant, versatile, and the chemical foundation of all living creatures. Moreover, new forms of carbon are speeding advances in materials science, nanotechnology, and computing, with paradigm-busting ramifications. It is even poised to become the first truly global currency as industries transition away from carbon emitting processes to carbon-capturing ones in the expanding effort to stabilize our climate.

The H+ Summit was by far the best event I attended last year. Chock full of dynamic and inspiring talks, H+ folks make the future look bright. Their optimism is infectious! ... Through science and technology, theirs is a celebration of creativity, culture and human potential, the likes of which I had never experienced. I'm excited to see what they come up with and cannot wait for the next H+ Summit.

-Kasey McMahon

Alex Backer

Presents:
Why We Age, How Aging is Good For You, How to Live Two Years Longer Using Your Cell Phone & Beyond

Alex's talk will be divided in three parts. The first will explain the selective advantage of aging, or why biology evolved a genetic program to age. The second will teach you how to live two years longer using your cell phone. The third will make a specific proposal to extend lifespan: that of redundant organs with failover systems with real-time wireless sensing devices for monitoring, repair and replacement.