It's all around us. Every aspect of our lives is touched in some way by art and science. Medicine, transportation, computers, music, dance-art and science shape everything we do and everywhere we go. Entire civilizations have been marked by their contributions to society in the arenas of art, science, and industry.
The 2005 Discovery Forum, which takes place April 29, celebrates all of these as they relate to our lives and our future. This year's lineup includes an all-star cast of exciting international speakers at the leading edge of their industries: Dean Kamen, George Albano, and Ray Kurzweil.
Life-Changing Innovation
If you haven't heard of the Segway, chances are you've seen one on television or in a magazine. We'll welcome Segway inventor Dean Kamen to Peoria to explore his numerous endeavors-each designed to help people live better lives. Kamen also developed the iBOT™ 3000 Mobility System, a sophisticated mobility aid capable of climbing stairs, navigating rough terrain, and raising the user to eye-level with a standing person using self-balancing technology that holds unlimited potential for individuals with disabilities and mobility limitations.
Life-Long Education
George Albano's success in educational reform is directly attributed to his commitment to educating the "whole child" academically, socially, culturally, and morally. He's worked throughout his career to instill this commitment in his staff and to share his firm belief that race, gender, and economic background can't impede a child's potential to learn. Albano has guided the transition of the 810-student Lincoln Elementary into one of the only schools in New York State where test scores in all academic subjects are as high for minority as non-minority students. Under his guidance, Lincoln has successfully closed the achievement gap in all academic subjects to become a school where, truly, no child is left behind.
Life in the Future
Ray Kurzweil was the principal developer of the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind, the first optical character recognition (OCD) flat-bed scanner, the first text-to-speech synthesizer, the first music synthesizer capable of recreating the grand piano and other orchestral
instruments, and the first commercially marketed large-vocabulary speech recognition. Kurzweil's first book, The Age of Intelligent Machines, has been acclaimed for its remarkably accurate predictions about the 1990s and early 2000 years. His best-selling book, The Age of Spiritual Machines, When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence, has been published in nine languages. His new book, Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever, describes the science behind radical life extension.
The Forum also features the long-awaited presentation of the $10,000 Peoria Prize for Creativity and the 1st Annual Creativity Showcase, highlighting creativity in all its forms in a unique exhibit hall setting.
Last year's Forum sold out, drawing more than 1,000 participants from throughout the Midwest. Don't let this year's life-changing opportunity pass you by. Join us for Discovery Forum 2005, a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the art and science of life.
Registration is $35 if done by April 15 or $50 afterward, which includes lunch and materials. Full-time student cost is $15 with student ID. For more information, visit www.peorianext.org or call 677-2377. IBI