Consider these recommendations for upcoming virtual talks, readings and more in and around New York City:
Automation and Utopia
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2 p.m.
Café Culture North East
Live stream only
www.thephilosopher1923.org
Put aside your election jitters for an afternoon of utopian visions. John Danaher presents his new book, Automation and Utopia: Human Flourishing in a World Without Work, which looks at coming human obsolescence. He’ll argue that “the rise of automating technologies presents a utopian moment for humankind, providing both the motive and the means to build a better future.” He’s joined by philosopher and cognitive scientist Brian D. Earp, author ofLove Is the Drug: The Chemical Future of Relationships (free).
Virtual Tour: Life and Death in 1918
Thursday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.
Tenement Museum
Live stream only
www.tenement.orgHumanity’s most deadly pandemic was the the flu season of 1918-1919, which took the lives of more than 50,000 New Yorkers. Are there lessons to be learned for today? Join an exploration of what made 1918 so devastating, and how it impacted one family living at 97 Orchard Street (free, donations welcome).
Simons Foundation Presents: What Can Scientists Learn From Artists?
Friday, Nov. 6, 4 p.m.
Simons Foundation
Live stream only
www.simonsfoundation.org
Hasten to an intersection of art and science as physicist, musician, and author Stephon Alexander shares his adventures in the realms of jazz and theoretical physics (free).
For more information about lectures, readings and other intellectually stimulating events throughout NYC, sign up for the weekly Thought Gallery newsletter at thoughtgallery.org.
