This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. UVA engineering professor Rosalyn Berne has spent a good deal of time talking to horses - and says that she can hear them talk back to her. In reflecting on her experiences, Berne's talk posits an innate biological connection that unites all living things, allowing us to communicate with other species in ways we never thought possible.
As Associate Professor of “Engineering and Society” at the University of Virginia, Prof. Berne teaches courses in “Science, Technology and Contemporary Issues: Science Fiction and The Future,” & “Science, Fiction and New Reproductive Technologies.” She is recipient of the National Science Foundation Career Award, which for five years supported her research on ethics in nanotechnology development. Of scholarly interest to her are the role and function of the moral imagination, mythology and metaphor in the pursuit of new technological development. She is currently studying interspecies communication, considering its implications for engineering practice. Seeing the capacity of science fiction to engage the moral imagination, she both writes and teaches that genre. She is author of four books:
The science fiction novel Waiting in the Silence (2012) explores procreation, privacy, aging and spirituality in a world where information has become conscious. Its sequel, Walking on the Sea, is soon to be completed. Nanotalk: Conversations with Scientists and Engineers about Ethics, Meaning and Belief in the Development of Nanotechnology (Erlbaum, 2005) looks at nano-ethics through the eyes of scientists. Creating Life from Life: Biotechnology and Science Fiction (Forthcoming Pan Stanford Press, 2014) is an edited volume it combines non-fiction essays written by scientists with science fiction short stories authored by Rosalyn Berne. When the Horses Whisper (2013) is her first foray into interspecies communication. Dr. Berne has served on the advisory boards of the “Journal of Nanotechnology Ethics”, and “Journal of Nanotechnology Education.” She has been a guest on NPR’s “Science Friday,” and was a featured panelist on National Public Television’s Fred Friendly nanotechnology Seminars, “Power of the Small” in which she discussed societal and ethical facets of nanotechnology. She served previously as Head of Tandem Friends School; Vice President for Academic Affairs for the Institute for Shipboard Education; Director of Admission for the Darden School, and Assistant Vice President for Administration at the University of Virginia.
Her involvement in the local community has included many boards, most recently for the Center for Non-Profit Excellence.
About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
5 окт 2024
