Award-winning writer Christine Kenneally draws on the latest fascinating research in genetics, culture and economics to explore where we as humans came from, who we are and where we may be headed.
Ideas Night Out
Join us on Thursday, September 29 for Ideas Night Out, informal gatherings that allow you to dine up close and personal with Festival Presenters and other attendees at a variety of Louisville restaurants. No program or agenda; just casual, interesting conversation with thinkers, doers and makers from around the globe.
Please note: Ideas Night Out registration is not included in the Festival Pass or Thursday Day Pass.
Mayan Cafe with IF Presenters Jamie Holmes and Kim Phuc - SOLD OUT
Milkwood with IF Presenters Christine Kenneally, Ben Kuchera and Jonathan Shieber - REGISTER
Proof on Main with IF Presenters Troy Carter, James Ledbetter and Susan Schneider - SOLD OUT
Rye with IF Presenters Pagan Kennedy and Greg Christian - REGISTER
Vincenzo's with IF Presenters Lee Dugatkin and Christine Ortiz - REGISTER
IF Kids
Creating the next generation of creative thinkers and innovators.
Middle school students gather to again take part in a novel four-hour embedded IF track that exposes them to the various ideas and perspectives that undergird the Festival. Students are exposed to many of the same presenters from the IF Main Stage and will explore ideas surrounding creative thinking, discovery and imagination to recombine knowledge in new and unique ways. In partnership with the Kentucky Science Center.
King of the Hill
The Evolutionary Roots of Power and Dominance
History is in large part the story of the relentless quest for power. Evolutionary Biologist Lee Dugatkin dives deep into this subject to explore the roots of dominance and power.
Nonsense
Despite our search for certainty and answers, we live in a world of ambiguity and unpredictability. Jamie Holmes explains that a critical aspect of creative thinking and innovation rests with the ability to understand and navigate "not knowing" and uncertainty.
Overdiagnosed
Incredible advances in medical diagnostics and treatments have contributed to better health for countless people. But recent data demonstrates an emerging downside...too much medicine, too many tests and treatments may be resulting in not more but less health. Otis Brawley, Chief Medical Officer for the American Cancer Society and Medical Ethicist Harald Schmidt at the University of Pennsylvania discuss.
Pandemic: Tracking Contagions from Cholera to Ebola and Beyond
"In the past fifty years more than three hundred infectious diseases have either emerged or reemerged..." Award-winning science journalist Sonia Shah explores the history and future of pathogens including the profound influence of global developments on future trends.
Ricardo Rivera
Visual artist, filmmaker and a pioneer of video projection mapping, Ricardo Rivera integrates projection lighting and storytelling to create compelling experiences. At IF he will discuss his groundbreaking work using video projection art as a bridge between architecture, technology and storytelling.
Presented in partnership with artwithoutwalls.