Stuart Firestein, PhD, is the former chair of the Department of Biological Sciences at Columbia University, where his laboratory is researching the vertebrate olfactory receptor neuron. He has published articles in Wired (magazine), Huffington Post, and Scientific American. Firestein has been elected as a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for his meritorious efforts to advance science. He is an adviser to the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation program for the Public Understanding of Science.

In spite of the exponential growth of scientific knowledge as reflected in an ever more unwieldy literature, the driving engine of science is Ignorance. Facts and knowledge are accumulated, but in science, unlike medicine, law or finance, the purpose of the facts are to generate more and improved questions. Although our papers always have a "Conclusions" section, there are in fact very few conclusive answers in science. Uncertainty is the way of science, revision is always a victory, not an embarrassment. It is not so difficult to convince scientists of these working conditions, but what of the general public, the citizenry that pays for and depends on science. How can science remain a viable and important contributor to society and policy if it is steeped in doubt?

In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

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