Every year, Wesleyan Physics Professor Brian Stewart presents an illuminating talk about the world’s environmental and energy crisis.  It is always well worth attending.  Here is what Brian says as preview to this year’s talk.

Our understanding of the world as it is today leads to decisions about the future, and our expectations about the future influence our understanding of  the world and the decisions we make.  Central to navigating a successful course is an understanding of the constraints imposed by the physical world.  What happens when we fail to acknowledge those constraints?