Yuri’s Night Speakers

Come and be inspired by amazing talks by NASA scientists and other pioneers in space exploration and radical technology. Last year, Yuri’s Night Bay Area featured a keynote speech Anousheh Ansari, pioneering space traveler and the first privately-funded woman in space, and a talk by NASA scientist Dr. Chris McKay, world-renowned expert in astrobiology and terraformation. This year we're bringing in many more pioneering minds, and we'll keep your minds moving throught the event with our brand-new Festival of Ideas!

The complete 2008 speaker line-up has not yet been announced, but here are some of this year’s speakers to whet your appetite:

• World-renowned video game designer Will Wright, creator of SimCity, SimEarth, The Sims, and many other games, including his exciting upcoming game of life, evolution, and exploration, Spore
• NASA astrobiologist Jonathan Trent, leader of the new NASA G.R.E.E.N. team for green technology research
• Saul Griffith, an MIT-trained mad scientist and founder of one of the most innovative green power companies today, Makani Power
• Jaron Lanier, offering an innovative approach to communicating with distant life by rearranging the stars
• A NASA Research Park lecture by Chris Perkins and John Cole, CEO and COO of SkyTran, a revolutionary approach to urban mass transit
• Pascal Lee of the Haughton Mars Project, with special guests Brian Glass and Hans Utz of NASA Ames
• Remarks by Stewart Brand, a founder of The Long Now Foundation and creator of the Whole Earth Catalog

Stay tuned for the complete list!