THE SMARTEST PEOPLE · THE BIGGEST IDEAS

Moses' Choice

Buck Angel on his metamorphosis to manhood

Born into a female body, Buck shares the long journey it took to become the man he is today.

Lee Smolin on the nature of time

Lee Smolin delves into the “most abstract concept and most pervasive experience” humans encounter.

Haim Goldenberg on mind-blowing mentalism

Illusionist Haim Goldenberg bewilders the audience with his unique brand of mentalism.

Ray Jayawardhana on searching for new planets

In the hunt for other solar systems, Ray Jayawardhana is considered a “rock star”.

Barbara Kay on the role of honour in culture

Barbara Kay on the cultural phenomenon of Honour Killings.

Daily Special

ideacity gathers speakers and performers, mavericks, big names, new names, unusual suspects and hidden treasures; and has them give it their all in a 17-minute talk or performance, on stage, in front of an audience of like-minded ideazens. 50 Presenters over the course of three days, punctuated by extra-long schmooze breaks and really roaring parties every night; it’s an unexpected combination of elements that never fails to exceed the sum of its parts.

For more information on how to attend Canada’s Premier Meeting of the Minds, visit the registration page.

idealist News

A Proposal to Introduce Elephants to Australia: Really?

February 3, 2012

Why not bring elephants to Australia? That’s the proposal made by biologist David Bowman of the University of Tasmania in a comment published February 2 in Nature. (Scientific American is part of Nature Publishing Group.) The pachyderms could help to polish off … Read more

Toronto to get its own symphony at the TSO

February 1, 2012

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has commissioned composer Tod Machover to write a symphony about Toronto using the ideas and suggestions of the city’s own citizens. No musical expertise is required in the interactive project which will use the internet to … Read more

Cambridge scientist debunks flying myth

January 30, 2012

Aeroplanes can fly because their wings cause the air pressure underneath to be greater than that above, lifting them into the air. But engineers have for years been frustrated by a theory which wrongly explains what causes the change in … Read more

The Zynga Abyss

January 25, 2012

In the 1890s, while studying natural sciences at the University of Saint Petersburg, a Russian mathematician named Ivan Pavlov was analyzing dogs’ saliva output over time. Pavlov noticed that dogs tended to salivate more before eating and that merely the … Read more