Caltech experts featured on PBS series

A new PBS television series has begun airing that will include a number of Caltech scholars as panelists, engaging in conversation on various topics in scientific research, philosophy, and creativity.

Closer to Truth: Science, Meaning and the Future is coproduced by Caltech’s Bruce Murray, professor of planetary science and geology, emeritus, and a former director of JPL. Among the many guests, including scientists, novelists, philosophers, and other experts, will be Erin Schuman, executive officer for neurobiology and associate professor of biology, in the episode “How Does the Autistic Brain Work?”; Roger Blandford, Tolman Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics, and David Goodstein, vice provost and professor of physics and applied physics, in “How Weird is the Cosmos?”; Alice Huang, senior councilor for external relations and faculty associate in biology, in “Microbes—Friend or Foe?”; and David Baltimore, president and professor of biology, and Murray Gell-Mann, Millikan Professor of Theoretical Physics, Emeritus, in “How Does Order Arise in the Universe?”

Other segments will include “How Does Basic Science Defend America?”, with Steven Koonin, provost and professor of theoretical physics, and adviser to the federal government on civilian biodefense; “Is Consciousness Definable?”, featuring Christof Koch, executive officer for computation and neural systems and Troendle Professor of Cognitive and Behavioral Biology; and “Is the Universe Full of Life?”, with Bruce Murray and Shri Kulkarni, MacArthur Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science.

In the Los Angeles area, the series airs Mondays at 10 p.m. on KLCS, channel 58, and in Huntington Beach on KOCE, channel 50, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. and Sundays at 5:30 p.m. More stations will be included in the coming months. For additional information, visit www.pbs.org/kcet/closertotruth.
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