SPEAKING TOPICS

The Ice at the End of the World

The Arctic is the most important climate change story of our current era. Building on his book on Greenland and recent New York Times Magazine stories, Gertner explains in captivating detail how science and technology have helped us understand climate change, and how they might help us mitigate its future effects. As temperatures rise around the world, the profound changes in Greenland and the Arctic may soon translate into threatened ecosystems and natural calamities—but also in increased geopolitical tensions and dramatic competition for economic development.

The Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation

Bell Labs was the greatest laboratory of the 20th Century—an engine of innovation that led to the creation of the transistor, the laser, digital communications, and a host of other world-changing inventions. But what made this place so extraordinary? Tracing the history of this unique institution, Gertner unveils the many lessons that today’s innovators can learn about Bell Labs’ methods, philosophy, and success.