Ciudad de las Ideas (conference)

Steven Pinker at Ciudad de las Ideas 2008: Cynosura

La Ciudad de las Ideas (CDI) is a conference created by Andrés Roemer, to empower citizens and present innovative ideas in science, technology, art, design, politics, education, culture, business, entertainment and other areas of knowledge. CDI created a 21-minute format to encourage debate. Daniel Dennett called it the " brain Olympics.”

CDI speakers have included Nobel Prize winners Jerome Isaac Friedman, Mario J. Molina, Jody Williams, Daniel Kahneman and Paul Krugman; researchers Robert Sapolsky, Steven Pinker, Eduard Punset, Clotaire Rapaille, Tim Berners-Lee, David Buss, Richard Dawkins, Michael Shermer, Craig Venter and Randi Zuckerberg; and Oscar nominees Adame Pesapane (PES) and Oliver Stone.

Since 2008, up to 3,600 attendees have gathered every November in the center of Puebla.^[1][2]

The head and curator of CDI is Andrés Roemer, partner of the NGO Poder Civico A.C., together with Ricardo Salinas Pliego, President and CEO of Grupo Salinas. The thematic approach of the curator of the speakers is as follows: "Scholars/Policy and Makers" (leading academics and public policy makers), "Mex-I-Can" (talented Mexicans), "W-Under18" (children and young people), Debates, Art, Emotional, Technology, Artistic Interventions, and Entertainment.

The festival has been promoted in Azteca Trece and Proyecto 40 and on the event's website, social media, and through a science bookstore located at the festival site.^{[3][4][5][6][7]}

Since June 9, 2008, over 231 festival speakers have had their presentations published online. Fifty percent of the audience are between 16 and 25 years old.

History

2008: Cynosura

The first conference took place in Puebla’s Convention Center in 2008. Its name is derived from the star Polaris, also named Cynosura by the Greeks, pertaining to the Ursa Minor constellation. Cynosura took place from the 6th to the 8th of November, with the speakers allotted 21 minutes to present. The conference commemorated the 100-year anniversary of the scandal caused by the String Quartet No.2 in F Sharp Minor by Austrian composter, Arnold Schoenberg, with the atonality that disrupted traditional classic music.

2009: Re-evolution

Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett at Ciudad de las Ideas 2009. Re-evolution

From 2009 onwards, the University’s Cultural Complex of the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla became the International Brilliant Minds Festival’s official venue. La Ciudad de las Ideas celebrated the International Year of Astronomy with a "night of telescopes" and, from 2009 to 2012, innovative ideas in science and humanities were acknowledged with the Innovation for Humanity Prize and the Entrepreneur for Humanity Prize.

The winners of the Innovation for Humanity Prize in 2008 were Daniel Dennett and Steven Pinker, while the Entrepreneur for Humanity Prize acknowledged nearly 300 individuals.

2010: The origins of the future

In 2010, CDI commemorated two historical events relevant to Mexico: the Bicentennial Independence Day Anniversary and the Centennial Anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. The 2010 edition took place in the University Cultural Complex at the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla from the 11th to the 13th of November, where over 33 speakers attended.

The winners of the Innovation for Humanity Prize in 2009 were Dan Ariely and Philip Zimbardo, and the Entrepreneur for Humanity Prize acknowledged 200 individuals.

2011: Reset

This edition of CDI took place from the 10th to the 12th of November, 2011 in the University Cultural Complex at the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla. As in 2009, the "night of telescopes" took place on Friday the 11th at 7pm.

The winners of the Innovation for Humanity Prize in 2010 were Michio Kaku and Richard Dawkins. The Entrepreneur for Humanity Prize was awarded to 120 individuals.

2012: The Magic of If

Ciudad de las Ideas 2012. Magic of if

The fifth edition of the festival was titled “The Magic of If”. This edition took place from the 8th to the 10th of November 2012 in the University Cultural Complex at the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla. It included a new section dedicated to Mexican talent, called “Mex-I-can” and, on the other hand, the time for speakers to present reduced from 21 to 12 minutes.

The winners of the Innovation for Humanity Prize in 2011 were Eduard Punset, Oliver Stone and Dambisa Moyo. For the 2012 edition, the Entrepreneur for Humanity Prize was transformed into a prize with great reach and significance, turning into an initiative that stimulates social entrepreneurship projects, called Gifted Citizen Prize.

2013: Dangerous Ideas

The festival's sixth edition took place the 7th to the 9th of November, 2013, with the title of “Dangerous Ideas”. Ciudad de las Ideas 2013 also took place in the University Cultural Complex at the Meritorious Autonomous University of Puebla and includes a new curatorial topic, “W-Under 18” that invited children and youth that are changing the world, like Jack Andraka, Boyan Slat, and Umi Garrett.

Gifted Citizen Initiative

Comunidad Gifted Citizen en 2012

This initiative began at La Ciudad de las Ideas 2012. Submitted projects are evaluated by a committee and the conference Board of Directors.^[8] The projects can be scientific, technological, social, ecological or artistic in nature, as well as concerning development or human rights. The most outstanding project is awarded US$100,000. This prize is given in association with the Singularity University. Furthermore, the prize is backed up with the help of sponsors like Comex, Grupo Salinas, Aeroméxico, and the State of Puebla Government.

The GZ Prize was known as the "Entrepreneur for Humanity Prize" in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 conferences.

Speakers

The following is a list of people who have spoken at the Ciudad de las Ideas:^[14]

2008

Theme: "Cynosura"

2009

Theme: "Re-Evolution"

2010

Theme: "The Origins of the Future"

2011

Theme: "Reset"

2012

Theme: "Magic of If"

2013

Theme: "Dangerous Ideas"

2014

Theme: "Change the World"

2015

Theme: “What’s the Point?”

2016

Theme: “Play the Game”

2017

Theme: “Beyond X”

See also

• List of CDI speakers
• Eduard Punset
• TED (conference)
• The Third Culture

References