Saturday, May 31, 2014

Saturday's track on children's development and health is supported by American Public Media's Healthy States™.

1. 9 – 10:15 a.m.

   Resilience & Character: How Do They Develop? LISTEN
   Paul Tough interviewed by Stephen Smith
   Coffman Memorial Union's Great Hall

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   Paul Tough will explore his revelatory analysis of how resilience and character develop, as well as their biological and emotional seeds in early childhood, and the implications for children/s development.

   Tough is a contributing writer to The New York Times and the author of the bestselling book How Children Succeed. He'll be joined onstage by American Public Media's Stephen Smith.

   Part of the Healthy States Track on Children.

2. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

   Symposium Sessions #1

3. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

   Does Your Smartphone Actually Make You Smarter?
   Clive Thompson, on why technology is good, interviewed by Neal Justin
   Coffman Memorial Union Theater

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   The rise of smart phones and social media has certainly changed how we communicate, and writer Clive Thompson argues new technology also changes how we think. But — contrary to what many people believe — Thompson argues that having computers in our pockets and purses hasn't made us into more shallow, easily distracted thinkers.

   He is the author of Smarter Than You Think: How Technology is Changing Our Minds for the Better.

4. 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

   Nature Deficit Disorder: Why Children Need to Get Outdoors
   Richard Louv, on the children and nature movement, interviewed by Marti Erickson
   Coffman Memorial Union's Great Hall

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   “Nature Deficit Disorder” is not an official medical condition, but it's the term coined by Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, to describe “the human cost of alienation from nature.” Louv says this cost for kids includes diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, and higher rates of physical and emotional illness.

   Part of the Healthy States Track on Children.

5. Noon – 1 p.m.

   Symposium Sessions #2

6. Noon – 1 p.m.

   Disrupting an Industry: The Warby Parker Story LISTEN
   Neil Blumenthal, Warby Parker co-CEO, on making money and doing good, interviewed by Chris Farrell
   Coffman Memorial Union's Great Hall

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   Neil Blumenthal and his Warby Parker co-founders didn't just start a successful online business; they disrupted an industry. Their online eyeglass business was just named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies in the World.

   “The influence of the company is so strong,' explains the magazine, “that other e-commerce startups began branding themselves as ‘the Warby Parker of [fill in the blank]' as shorthand to explain their business or to ape some of Warby's glow.”

7. 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

   Symposium Sessions #3

8. 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

   Big Money, Big Media, Big Vanity: Our Washington, D.C., Problem LISTEN
   New York Times writer Mark Leibovich interviewed by Tom Crann
   Coffman Memorial Union's Great Hall

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   Congressional approval dropped to an all-time low last year, and the top criticism of Capitol Hill was gridlock. Why can't politicians get anything done? Mark Leibovich, author of This Town, says part of the problem is that Washington, D.C., is an insular town of “big politics, big money, big media, and big vanity.”

9. 1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

   How Do We Feed 300 Million Americans—Healthily?
   “Pandora's Lunchbox” with Melanie Warner interviewed by Dara Moskowitz Grumdahl
   Coffman Memorial Union Theater

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   Frozen dinners, shrink-wrapped lunchmeats, boxes of cereal, and other processed food make up 70% of the calories consumed by Americans, says Melanie Warner. Her book, Pandora's Lunchbox, pulls back the curtain on the food industry. Warner will be joined onstage by a food writer and a senior editor at Mpls./St. Paul Magazine to discuss how we can make the food we need to feed 313 million Americans — and still make the food healthy.

10. 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    Symposium Sessions #4

11. 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    The Power of Innovation: How We Can Still Save the Environment LISTEN
    Ramez Naam interviewed by Jon Foley
    Coffman Memorial Union's Great Hall

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    Here's a list of problems our planet faces, from computer scientist, futurist, and author Ramez Naam: climate change, fresh water depletion, ocean over-fishing, deforestation, air and water pollution, the struggle to feed a planet of billions.

    But, says Naam, these are not insurmountable. Humans can innovate. He'll discuss how with Jon Foley, the director of the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment.

12. 2:45 – 3:45 p.m.

    Bioethics: What Are the Limits of Human Experimentation? LISTEN
    Maggie Koerth-Baker interviewed by Tom Weber
    Coffman Memorial Union Theater

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    There is a limit to how effective we make medical science since bioethics and sheer complexity make it difficult or impossible to test medicines and medical procedures on humans. Science writer Maggie Koerth-Baker will discuss the history of human experimentation, the current limits we face, and possible breakthroughs in medicine and experimentation that could lead to more effective treatments.

    She'll be joined onstage by Daily Circuit co-host Tom Weber.

13. 4 p.m.

    Innovative State: Bringing Government Into the 21st Century LISTEN
    Aneesh Chopra, Former Chief Technology Officer of the U.S., interviewed by Chris Farrell
    Coffman Memorial Union's Great Hall

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    Aneesh Chopra, the first person to serve as the Chief Technology Officer of the United States, argues in his new book Innovative State, that the U.S. federal government is stuck on an outdated model. He will explain why he thinks Washington, D.C., should look to technology and the private sector for better ways to develop policy, serve citizens, and do more with less.

14. 8 p.m.

    Top Coast edition of Wits™ at MPR's Fitzgerald Theater.
    Featured guests include Peter Sagal and Paul F. Tompkins with Open Mike Eagle.

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    Wits is a live public radio show that brings world-class comedians, actors and musicians to the stage where host John Moe gives them and the audience the time of their lives. This special Saturday edition of Wits will feature Peter Sagal and Paul F. Tompkins with Open Mike Eagle. All seats are general admission. Top Coast Festival attendees can purchase tickets to this show before the general public. Get more details on WitsRadio.org.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

1. 9:30 – 10:30 a.m.

   Insuring Every American: The Story Behind the Affordable Care Act LISTEN
   Ezekiel Emanuel interviewed by Kerri Miller
   McNamara Alumni Center

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   Ezekiel Emanuel was a strong voice in the White House during the creation of the Affordable Care Act. He says the reforms are reshaping our current system in ways that are unseen by most. He'll explain how he sees the ACA rolling out and trends in Americans' health that will shape the market for health care in the decades to come.

2. 11 a.m.

   Slow Down: Why Success Is Found in Stillness
   Russell Simmons interviewed by Dessa
   McNamara Alumni Center

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   Russell Simmons will discuss how he went from being a co-founder of Def Jam records to the creator of clothing lines, television shows, and philanthropic efforts, as well as a serial entrepreneur. His new book, Success Through Stillness, credits meditation for his ongoing creativity and productivity.

Schedule subject to change.