* All times are based on Canada/Pacific PDT.

  • 8:00 AM

    Canada/Pacific

    8:00 AM - 9:00 AM PST
    Hall of History (registration/reception area)
      BREAKS & REFRESHMENTS

    Check-In & Coffee

    9:00 AM

    Canada/Pacific

    9:00 AM - 10:00 AM PST
    AUDITORIUM
    Virtual
      PLENARY

    WELCOME & OPENING PLENARY: Terrence Deacon

    Welcoming remarks from Human Energy founder and President, Ben Kacyra, along with Conference Co-Chairs, Terrence Deacon and Sheila Hassell Hughes. Plenary address by Terrence Deacon: “On Being a Noospheric Species”

    10:00 AM

    Canada/Pacific

    10:00 AM - 10:15 AM PST
      BREAKS & REFRESHMENTS

    Coffee / Break

    10:15 AM

    Canada/Pacific

    4 parallel sessions
    10:15 AM - 11:30 AM PST
    R. SPROUL
      PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS

    (1) Heinrich Volmink / (2) Ari Makridakis

    (1) Exploring the African philosophy of Ubuntu in relation to global governance/citizenship and the Noosphere. (2) Beyond Sovereignty and Submission: The complex role of the modern individual within the noosphere

    10:15 AM - 11:30 AM PST
    AUDITORIUM
    Virtual
      SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

    (1) Jacob Foster / (2) Manasvi Lingam (a panel from Boundaries of Humanity, our N2 Leading Sponsor)

    (1) Toward an Evolutionary Ecology of the Noosphere / (2) On Some Informational Aspects of our Noosphere and Beyond

    10:15 AM - 11:30 AM PST
    HOMEROOM
      PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS
      THEOLOGICAL & SPIRITUAL ENGAGEMENT

    (1) Sean Kelly / (2) Louis Savary

    (1) Planetary Metanoia: Transformation of the Noosphere in light of Morinian Complexity / (2 ) Ethics for an Evolving Noosphere: Human Energy and Achieving a Shared Global Consciousness

    10:15 AM - 11:30 AM PST
    I. SPROUL
      SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

    (1) Shima Beigi / (2) Zann Gill

    (1) Fostering Noospheric Urban Living with Mindful Smart Cities / (2) Noogenesis: Human + A.I. Agents Iterating toward Collaborative Intelligence

    11:30 AM

    Canada/Pacific

    11:30 AM - 11:45 AM PST
      BREAKS & REFRESHMENTS

    Break

    11:45 AM

    Canada/Pacific

    11:45 AM - 1:00 PM PST
    AUDITORIUM
    Virtual
      PLENARY

    LUNCHEON PLENARY: Robert Lawrence Kuhn

    A Landscape of Consciousness in the Noosphere: Toward a Taxonomy of Explanations and Implications (A Zoom presentation) Note: A buffet lunch will be available in Slusser (to the back of the Auditorium) for those registered for meals. Live Stream: The live stream for luncheon & dinner speakers will commence 30 minutes after session start time. This speaker will begin at 12:15 PM PT.

    1:00 PM

    Canada/Pacific

    1:00 PM - 2:00 PM PST
    AUDITORIUM
    Virtual
      PLENARY

    PLENARY ADDRESS: Ilia Delio

    Can Science Alone Advance the Noosphere? Understanding Teilhard’s Omega Principle

    2:00 PM

    Canada/Pacific

    2:00 PM - 2:15 PM PST
      BREAKS & REFRESHMENTS

    Coffee / Break

    2:15 PM

    Canada/Pacific

    4 parallel sessions
    2:15 PM - 3:30 PM PST
    R. SPROUL
      SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

    (1) Boris Shoshitaishvili / (2) Claire Webb [cancelled] / (3) Jonathan Blake (a panel from our N2 Partner, the Berggruen Institute)

    (1) The Noosphere and the Harmony of the Spheres: Bringing Techno-, Info-, and Biospheres into Planetary Alignment / (2) Planetary and Extraplanetary Temporalities & Technologies of Planetary Perception / (3) The Noosphere within the Genealogy/Governance of the Planetary

    2:15 PM - 3:30 PM PST
    I. SPROUL
      EDUCATION

    (1) John D. Cressler / (2) Emily DeMoor

    (1) Nurturing the Noosphere on College Campuses: Challenges and Successes / (2) Literature of the Noosphere for Secondary Education (1) Nurturing the Noosphere on College Campuses: Challenges and Successes - Today’s college students, bright and capable as they are, face challenges to their well-being that few of us faced at their age. Smartphone-free alone time is becoming a rare luxury, and the inevitably addictive distraction of e-Gadgets often stand in the way of student self-discovery and discernment. Sobering statistics bear witness to a trend of deteriorating mental health among students, a trend which clearly works against our shared vision for the noosphere, of community building, of global consciousness. At Georgia Tech, I have introduced a unique course called “Science, Engineering, and Religion: An Interfaith Dialogue,” which is open to all students. Together, each highly diverse class cohort creates a safe space for sharing and dialogue, evolving into a tight-knit community of exploration and acceptance. Each cohort is given the chance to experience a weekend Ignatian silent retreat on “Science and Spirituality,” an often tranformative encounter with both silence and nature, typically leading to deep self-reflection on meaning and purpose. In this talk, I will address the challenges facing our young people, and useful approaches that can make a difference in nuturing the noosphere among them. - John D. Cressler

    2:15 PM - 3:30 PM PST
    AUDITORIUM
    Virtual
      THEOLOGICAL & SPIRITUAL ENGAGEMENT

    (1) Keith Lemna / (2) John Haught (a panel from our N2 Leading Sponsor, Boundaries of Humanity)

    (1) Polarity in the Noosphere: Reading Teilhard through Pope Francis / (2) The Meaning of "Noosphere" in Teilhard's Cosmic Vision

    2:15 PM - 3:30 PM PST
    HOMEROOM
      PHILOSOPHY & ETHICS

    Michael Pirson with Bob Chapman, Jay Jakub, Gregory Stock, David Sloan Wilson, and Ben Kacyra

    Business of the Noosphere (Roundtable)

    3:30 PM

    Canada/Pacific

    3:30 PM - 3:45 PM PST
      BREAKS & REFRESHMENTS

    Coffee / Break

    3:45 PM

    Canada/Pacific

    3:45 PM - 4:45 PM PST
    AUDITORIUM
    Virtual
      PLENARY

    PLENARY ADDRESS: Jaron Lanier

    4:45 PM

    Canada/Pacific

    4:45 PM - 6:00 PM PST
    Hall of History (registration/reception area)
      BREAKS & REFRESHMENTS

    Welcome Reception

    Please join us for a welcome reception in the Hall of History, with complimentary appetizers. Those whose registration includes meals may use their beverage tickets. Beer and wine may also be purchased at the bar with a credit card.