Cornerstone

What Does It Mean to be Human?

From the earliest record of homo sapiens (“thinking human”), men and women have sought an answer to core questions: What does it mean to be? Why are we different from animals? What does it mean to be made in the “image of God”?

The 2008 World Science Festival in New York brought together eminent thinkers to grapple with these question, including a sociologist, physicist, anthropologist, biologist, artificial intelligence pioneer, geneticist, and neuroscientist. This is a great example of the idea of Cornerstone–bringing together different disciplines to examine the many viewpoints of an issue.

Read the synopsis of their conversation or watch the event on video.

http://vimeo.com/groups/science/videos/4533831

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

  • Which position aligns best with your own way of thinking? Why?
  • Which position is least aligned with your way of thinking? Why?
  • What kinds of disciplinary positions are not represented in this panel? And what is it about those ways of thinking that is missing from this conversation?

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