Long Now & The Interval Salon Talks — Sara Imari Walker & Kim Carlson
Long Now Foundation & The Interval At Long Now
Apr 1st Through Apr 22ndThe Long Now Foundation presents two salon talks in April 2025 — Sara Imari Walker discussing “An Informational Theory Of Life” on April 1, 2025 in the Cowell Theater and Kim Carson addressing “Inspired By Intelligence: Purpose & Creativity In The AI Era” in The Interval At Long Now, Building A, on April 22, 2025, both at Fort Mason Center For Arts & Culture. The talks happen on Tuesdays, April 1, 2025 and April 22, 2025, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 6:00 p.m.).
On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 6:00 p.m.), physicist and astrobiologist Sara Imari Walker talks about “An Informational Theory Of Life.” Walker argues that solving the origin of life requires radical new thinking and an experimentally testable theory for what life is. Can a universal general theory for solving the matter-to-life transition, detecting alien life, and designing synthetic life be found?
Walker proposes a new paradigm for understanding what physics encompasses and what we recognize as life. Assembly theory is a physics framework based on molecular complexity that opens a new path to identify where the threshold lies for life to arise from non-life. Walker leads one of the largest international theory groups in origins of life and astrobiology who are working to understand the evolution of life on our planet and in the universe.
This talk is hosted by Benjamin Bratton, Director of the Antikythera program at the Berggruen Institute. Watch Benjamin’s January 2025 Long Now talk, “A Philosophy of Planetary Computation.”
Sara Imari Walker is an astrobiologist and theoretical physicist, and is deputy director of the Beyond Center For Fundamental Concepts In Science and professor at Arizona State University, a fellow of the Berggruen Institute, and an external faculty member at the Santa Fe Institute. Walker co-founded the astrobiology social network SAGANet, is on the board of directors for Blue Marble Space, and is author of Life As No One Knows It: The Physics Of Life’s Emergence.
Enjoy drinks and small bites with other attendees at Long Now’s pre- and post-show gatherings in the Cowell Theater Lobby.
For Tuesday, April 22, 2025, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 6:00 p.m.), Kim Carson talks about “Inspired By Intelligence: Purpose & Creativity In The AI Era” in The Interval At Long Now, Building A. Carson explores the profound question of how to rediscover and define human purpose in the age of AI.
With influences ranging from Brene Brown’s courage-centered leadership to Paulo Coelho’s exploration of personal destiny, Carson’s work weaves together practical strategies and philosophical insights, guiding audiences in understanding how AI can serve as a partner in awakening creativity, navigating uncertainty, and fostering a deeper connection with others and ourselves.
Carson’s perspective also embraces the Dalai Lama’s call for compassion and balance, advocating for AI systems that enhance collective well-being while honoring the uniqueness of the individual. Carson invites audiences to experience AI not as a threat to human identity but as a catalyst for discovery and growth, empowering us to become co-creators of a future where technology supports our highest aspirations.
Kim Carson is a thought leader at the crossroads of artificial intelligence, creativity, and human purpose. With more than two decades of experience, she has built a career around designing systems and strategies that align technological innovation with the timeless pursuit of human connection, creativity, and self-discovery. At Imagine Global, Carson leads initiatives and makes investments in technologies that leverage AI to enhance personal and societal transformation. Her approach is deeply informed by wisdom from across disciplines, drawing on Eckhart Tolle’s mindfulness, Elizabeth Gilbert’s exploration of creative flow, Rick Rubin’s artistry of inspiration, and principles from The War Of Art by Steven Pressfield.
