Chris Hadfield, Mike Lazaridis and top scientists part of stellar lineup on
The Agenda with Steve Paikin at Quantum to Cosmos festival

    
    TVO's flagship current affairs program broadcasts live from atrium of
    Perimeter Institute in Waterloo October 19 to 23 at 8 pm; live streaming
    also available at tvo.org and q2cfestival.com
    

TORONTO , Sept. 24 /CNW/ - Is going into space a noble endeavour or a waste of our time and resources? Do advancements in computers and robotics make life easier or are humans getting too dependent on technology? And having unlocked the mysteries of genetics, are we bound for greater discoveries or has science gone too far? From October 19 to 23 at 8 pm TVO's flagship current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin will tackle the big issues in science as it broadcasts live from the Quantum to Cosmos Festival (Q2C), a gathering of top scientists from around the world at Waterloo's world-renowned Perimeter Institute.

"I'm really looking forward to our Q2C shows," says anchor and senior editor Steve Paikin. "We're very privileged to be part of this festival and to have such a tremendous pool of brilliance on hand to be part of the show. I think anyone tuning in or following the discussions online will have their mind expanded like never before."

The diverse panel of guests over the five nights will include top scientists from a wide field of disciplines, writers, including award-winning science journalists, innovative business leaders and space explorers. The schedule of programs on air and online is as follows:

    
    Are We Bound for Space? - Monday October 19
    -----------------------
    

Is space travel necessary to ensure human survival as physicist Stephen Hawking has stated, or should our efforts be focused on Earth-bound problems like fighting climate change and overpopulation?

Guests: Chris Hadfield , Canadian astronaut; Chris McKay, scientist, NASA Ames Research Center; Bob Richards , founder and CEO, Odyssey Moon Ltd.; Donna Shirley , aerospace engineer and author (Managing Martians).

    
    Wired 24/7? - Tuesday October 20
    -----------
    

Advancements in technology have affected almost every aspect of our daily lives: our thinking, our relationships and the way our work works. But are we comfortable living in a world that never shuts off, and is technological progress always for the better?

Guests: Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO, Research in Motion; Neil Gershenfeld, director, Center for Bits and Atoms, MIT; Raymond Laflamme , physicist, Perimeter Institute and the Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo; Jaron Lanier, computer scientist and writer, Berkeley University; Neal Stephenson , author (The Baroque Cycle).

    
    Whose DNA Is It? - Wednesday October 21
    ----------------
    

Are we ready to come face to face with our innermost genetic secrets? Will this knowledge help us make wise choices? Can we trust ourselves and others with safeguarding this most potent knowledge?

Guests: Sean B. Carroll, author and biologist, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Mark Gerstein , associate professor, Yale University; Pallab Ghosh, correspondent, BBC and member, Federation of Science Journalists; Margaret Somerville , professor, McGill University; Kari Stefansson, cofounder and CEO of deCODE Genetics.

    
    Robotics Revolution and the Future of Evolution - Thursday October 22
    -----------------------------------------------
    

How will robotics change us and our lives and will artificial intelligence-driven robots put us on and accelerated evolutionary path? And is a more heavily robotized society a done deal?

Guests: Hod Lipson, director, Cornell Computational Synthesis Laboratory, Cornell University ; Michael Belfiore , science journalist and author (The Department of Mad Scientists); Eliezer Yudkowsky, artificial intelligence theorist, Singularity Institute; Cory Doctorow, co-editor of Boing Boing, science fiction author.

    
    Do We Still Believe in Science? - Friday October 23
    -------------------------------
    

In an increasingly complex and sceptical world, will advancements in genetics, artificial intelligence, and countless other endeavours cement the hold science has on our imaginations, or will we lose the taste for a life shaped by science and technology?

Guests: Neil Turok, director, Perimeter Institute; Natalie Angier , Pulitzer-Prize winning science writer for the New York Times and author (The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science); Stewart Brand , president, The Long Now Foundation: Nadia El-Awadypresident, World Federation of Science Journalists and Arab Science Journalists; Michael Griffin , engineer, University of Alabama.

For more information about guests on The Agenda with Steve Paikin please visit tvo.org/theagenda.

About the Quantum to Cosmos Festival

For 10 exciting days this Fall ( October 15 to 25), Perimeter Institute's Quantum to Cosmos: Ideas for the Future (q2cfestival.com) will take a global audience from the strange world of subatomic particles to the outer frontiers of the universe. Q2C will transcend traditional festivals by streaming events live and on demand, offering virtual interaction with exhibits, and providing special opportunities for students and teachers. The Q2C Festival is produced for Perimeter Institute by Title Entertainment Inc.

About TVO

TVO, Ontario's public educational media organization, is the presenting media partner for the Q2C Festival. TVO is a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to find TVO

Cable channel 2 (channel may vary in some areas), Bell TV channel 265, Star Choice channel 353.

For further information: Media Contacts: Paul Ginis, TVO Communications, [phone] x2445, [email protected]; Angela Garde, TVO Communications, [phone] x2305, [email protected]