The Natural History Museum of Utah Lecture Series 2024: The Science of Intelligence

SALT LAKE CITY, FEBRUARY 13, 2023 – This spring, join the Natural History Museum of Utah to explore the latest thinking on thinking in the 2024 Lecture Series: The Science of Intelligence: Human. Plant. Animal. Machine. Through a world-class lineup of experts, this year’s Lecture Series delves deep into the science of reason and understanding, the ability to solve complex problems, and more. These remarkable science storytellers explore intelligence across a variety of forms – from the untold impacts of artificial intelligence to the hidden realms of animal senses to the interconnectedness of trees. Concluding the series is a roundtable discussion offering informed perspectives from local experts on artificial intelligence.  

The series is inspired by NHMU’s current special exhibition Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Jane Goodall. Dr. Goodall’s groundbreaking observations of chimpanzees in their natural habitat redefined measurements of intelligence and revolutionized human understanding of relationships in the animal kingdom.  

“Each year, the NHMU Lecture Series features highly respected experts speaking on topics of great importance and interest to our community, and this year’s Lecture Series is particularly exciting,” said Dr. Jason Cryan, the Sarah B. George Executive Director of the Natural History Museum of Utah.  “The very definition of intelligence is evolving as our understanding of the natural world grows and as technology advances.  The dynamic speakers in this year’s series will help to illuminate these timely and vital interpretations – and implications – of intelligence.”  

Speakers: 

Ed Yong, British-American science journalist, a Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author, presents “The Amazing Nature of Animal Senses” in The Canyon at NHMU on March 12, 2024, at 7 p.m. Based on his 2022 New York Times bestseller, An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, Yong details the amazing ways in which animals experience aspects of the world to which we are oblivious. Admission is free but pre-registration is required.  

Suzanne Simard is a professor of forest ecology at the University of British Columbia where she researches forest renewal practices that protect biodiversity against climate change. Simard presents “Finding the Mother Tree,” aimed to help audiences understand how vital trees are for both each other and for humans. Simard will speak at Viridian Event Center in West Jordan on March 18, 2024, at 7 p.m. and in The Canyon at NHMU on March 19, 2024, at 7 p.m. Both lectures are free to attend but pre-registration is required.  

Keynote speaker David Eagleman is a neuroscientist at Stanford University, an international bestselling author, and a Guggenheim Fellow. In his lecture, Eagleman explores big questions about the intelligence of AI, the future of employment with evolving AI, and how intelligence can really be measured. Following his lecture, guests are invited to a book signing with Eagleman. Eagleman’s keynote address will be offered at Kingsbury Hall on the University of Utah campus, April 2, 2024, at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20 or $10 with a valid U of U ID. Details at nhmu.utah.edu/keynote. 

Local scientists, business leaders, and experts participate in a moderated panel discussion examining the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence. Representing a variety of industries, speakers explore differing perspectives, information, and stories about the evolution of AI. The panel takes place at the Salt Lake City Library – Main Library on April 18, 2024, at 7 p.m. The panel is free to attend but pre-registration is required.  

The 2024 Lecture Series is made possible with help from NHMU's amazing partners and supporters. The Museum is grateful for the ongoing support of our Lecture Series Founding Underwriter the R. Harold Burton Foundation, our Underwriter the Cultural Vision Fund, and the many generous sponsors and partners who make the series possible for our community. 

For more information and to pre-register visit: https://nhmu.utah.edu/lectureseries. 

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About the Natural History Museum of Utah   

The Natural History Museum of Utah is one of the leading scientific research and cultural institutions in the country. Established in 1963, the museum’s 10 permanent exhibitions are anchored by its state-of-the-art collections and research facilities containing almost 2 million objects. These collections are used in studies on geological, biological, and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The museum hosts approximately 300,000 general visitors a year and provides one of the most spectacular private event settings in the Salt Lake City area. NHMU also broadens the reach of its mission through a variety of science-based outreach programs to communities and schools throughout Utah, reaching every school district in the state every other year.