Google 'Philosopher' Highlights Lecture Series

EVANSTON, Ill. – Damon Horowitz, director of engineering and “in-house philosopher” at Google, will speak at Northwestern University Tuesday, April 30, as part of the University’s Contemporary Thought Speaker Series.

Horowitz, whose work explores what is possible at the boundaries of technology and the humanities, will speak at 6 p.m. in Ryan Auditorium in the Technological Institute, 2145 Sheridan Road, Evanston campus. His lecture is free and open to the public.

A “serial entrepreneur,” Horowitz was cofounder and chief technology officer of Aardvark, a popular social search engine acquired in 2010 by Google. He has taught courses in philosophy, cognitive science and computer science at institutions including Stanford University, New York University, the University of Pennsylvania and San Quentin State Prison.

Horowitz’s work has been featured in popular media outlets from The New York Times to the Discovery Channel, and in TechCrunch, a web publication that provides technology news and analysis along with profiles of startup companies, products and websites. With a bachelor’s degree in computer science and a Ph.D. in philosophy, Horowitz advocates for the importance and integration of both subjects in today’s world.

The Contemporary Thought Speaker Series brings leading intellectuals to Northwestern to foster community-wide discussions on important subjects of the day. The series dates back to the 1920s and 1930s and, over the years, has brought Jane Addams, Frank Lloyd Wright, Clarence Darrow, W.E.B. DuBois, Carl Sandburg, Bertrand Russell and other notable figures to campus.

The series was revived last year when the Office of the President and Office of the Provost agreed to support an undergraduate initiative to reinstate the lecture series.

Tickets are not required but can be reserved online through the Norris University Center Box Office. For more about the Contemporary Thought Speaker Series, email Ellie Graham at jegraham@u.northwestern.edu.