Even the greatest scientists have made some serious blunders. "Brilliant Blunders" concerns the evolution of life on Earth, of the Earth itself, of stars, and of the universe as a whole. In this talk, astrophysicist Dr. Mario Livio explores and analyzes major errors committed by such luminaries as Charles Darwin, Linus Pauling, and Albert Einstein. Perimeter Institute (charitable registration number 88981 4323 RR0001) is the world’s largest independent research hub devoted to theoretical physics, created to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. The Perimeter Institute Public Lecture Series is made possible in part by the support of donors like you. Be part of the equation: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/inspiring-and-educating-public Subscribe for updates on future live webcasts, events, free posters, and more: https://insidetheperimeter.ca/newsletter/ facebook.com/pioutreach twitter.com/perimeter instagram.com/perimeterinstitute Donate: https://perimeterinstitute.ca/give-today

The ability to ask “why?” makes us uniquely human. Curiosity drives basic scientific research, is the engine behind creativity in all disciplines from technology to the arts, is a necessary ingredient in education, and a facilitating tool in every form of storytelling (literature, film, TV, or even a simple conversation) that delights rather than bores. In a fascinating and entertaining lecture, astrophysicist and bestselling author Mario Livio surveys and interprets cutting-edge research in psychology and neuroscience that aims at exploring and understanding the origin and mechanisms of human curiosity. As part of his research into the subject, Livio examined in detail the personalities of two individuals who arguably represent the most curious minds to have ever existed: Leonardo da Vinci and Richard Feynman. He also interviewed 9 exceptionally curious people living today, among them Fabiola Gianotti, the Director General of CERN (who is also an accomplished pianist), paleontologist Jack Horner, and the virtuoso lead guitarist of the rock band Queen, Brian May (who also holds a PhD in astrophysics), and Livio presents fascinating conclusions from these conversations.

Astrophysicist Mario Livio, the bestselling author of "The Golden Ratio", "Is God a Mathematician?", "Brilliant Blunders", and "The Accelerating Universe" for a discussion of his latest book "Why?: What Makes Us Curious". Livio discusses investigating perhaps the most human of all our characteristics—curiosity—and explores our desire to ask "why?" Thumbnail Credit: pixabay WGBH Forum Network ~ Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas Like us: http://facebook.com/wgbhforum Tweet with us: http://twitter.com/ForumNetwork See our complete archive here: http://forum-network.org

NOVA leads viewers on a mathematical mystery tour a provocative exploration of math's astonishing power across the centuries. We discover math's signature in the swirl of a nautilus shell, the whirlpool of a galaxy and the spiral in the center of a sunflower. Math was essential to everything from the first wireless radio transmissions to the prediction and discovery of the Higgs boson and the successful landing of rovers on Mars. But where does math get its power? Astrophysicist and writer Mario Livio, along with a colorful cast of mathematicians, physicists and engineers, follows math from Pythagoras to Einstein and beyond, all leading to the ultimate riddle: Is math an invention or a discovery? Humankind's clever trick or the language of the universe? ▶Subscribe to New Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1bzeA3mCt2H3KS2xqxYo4w

We do not yet know how life first formed on earth, but no scientist argues that it can never be explained in material terms. How prevalent is life throughout the universe? We now know that there are likely even more planets than there are stars. So, is life in the cosmos prevalent or rare?  Either answer yields profound implications. Donate to Closer To Truth and help us keep our content free and without paywalls: https://shorturl.at/OnyRq Click here to watch more interviews with Mario Livio: http://bit.ly/2SOjUyL Click here to watch more interviews on life in the cosmos: http://bit.ly/2SM0tGy Click here to buy episodes or complete seasons of Closer To Truth: http://bit.ly/1LUPlQS

Whether there are other intelligences in the vast cosmos is one of the big questions of human existence and perhaps of existence in general. Estimates using probabilities almost always portray a universe teeming with sentient creatures. Any implication of human uniqueness seems to contradict basic assumptions of science. And yet, there is no sign of alien intelligences, none whatsoever. Why? Donate to Closer To Truth and help us keep our content free and without paywalls: https://shorturl.at/OnyRq Click here to watch more interviews with Mario Livio: http://bit.ly/2SOjUyL Click here to watch more interviews on alien intelligences: http://bit.ly/2K32rAg Click here to buy episodes or complete seasons of Closer To Truth: http://bit.ly/1LUPlQS For all of our video interviews please visit us at: www.closertotruth.com