May 9, 2023

INTERVIEW

Our Expanding Universe

“We have no reason to think the universe has any sort of edge, and apparently there’s no limit to how far we can go in imagination,” says John Mather, Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist and senior project scientist for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which is sensitive enough to measure the heat of a bumblebee at the distance of the moon. We caught up with him about the exciting capabilities of the Webb telescope, the mysteries of consciousness, and life across the universe.

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FESTIVAL

Meet Our Speakers

We’re excited to share the 2023 Aspen Ideas Festival speaker lineup, which is packed with visionary leaders and inspiring thinkers whose ideas and actions are shaping our collective future.

From June 24–30, 300+ speakers will engage attendees in dynamic conversations on today’s biggest issues, from building responsible AI and transitioning from fossil fuels to working across the aisle and addressing the teen mental health crisis. We’ll also cover topics that are simply fascinating and fun. Learn about our expanding universe, how to forage for food in your own backyard, brain hacks for productivity, and how to make the most of ChatGPT.

Get to know this year’s exceptional mix of speakers — including the names below — and stay tuned for additional confirmations in the coming weeks.

• Sir David Frank Adjaye OM OBE RA, Principal, Adjaye Associates; Designer, National Museum of African American History and Culture

• Laura Dave, Author, The Last Thing He Told Me

• Sal Khan, Founder and CEO of Khan Academy; Founder, Khan Lab School

• Alexis Nikole Nelson, Forager; TikToker

• Dan Savage, “Savage Love” columnist; Activist

• Lisa Damour, Clinical psychologist; Author, The Emotional Lives of Teenagers

• John McWhorter, Professor of English and comparative literature, Columbia University; Author, Nine Nasty Words

• Annie Murphy Paul, Science writer; Author, The Extended Mind

• David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-Chairman, The Carlyle Group

• Baratunde Thurston, Host, “America Outdoors” on PBS; Host, “How to Citizen” podcast

• Brian Greene, Professor of Physics and Mathematics and Director of the Center of Theoretical Physics, Columbia University; Author, Until the End of Time

PODCAST

Sex Recession: Why Isn’t Everyone Doing It?

For the last several years, health experts have been puzzling over an unexpected trend — young people are having less sex than people of previous generations did at their age. Why is this happening, and is it cause for worry? In this 2019 talk from the Aspen Ideas: Health archives, a panel of experts on sexuality and culture teases apart the survey data. The conversation features human sexuality professor Debby Herbenick, who conducts a national survey on Americans’ sexual behavior, “Savage Love” columnist and activist Dan Savage, who has been answering no-holds-barred questions from the public about sex for decades, and Atlantic editor Kate Julian, who wrote “The Sex Recession,” one of the magazine’s most-read pieces of 2018. They spoke with Atlantic culture writer Amanda Mull about why teens are launching their sex lives later.

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