Prof. George Whitesides of Harvard University recently sat down with the Science & Technology Innovation Program (STIP) of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars to discuss technological convergence, the problems posed by megacities and how technology can lower the price of healthcare. The video was filmed at the Converging and Emerging Technologies for Societal Benefit (NBIC2) meeting in June 2012.

The National Science Foundation is working with STIP to interview scientists working at the convergence of nanotechnology, biotechnology, information technology and cognitive science. In this series of videos, participants discuss their definition of technological convergence, how this might affect various scientific fields and what obstacles must be addressed to reach convergence’s full potential. Some will also feature footage from laboratories across the country.

This project is part of the international study "Societal Convergence for Human Progress: Beyond Convergence of Nano-Bio-Info-Cognitive Technologies" sponsored by NSF, NIH, NASA, EPA, DOD and USDA.

The videos are currently being produced and will be released throughout the coming months.

So far, segments have been filmed with:

George Whitesides, Harvard University

Aude Oliva, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Bruce Tonn, University of Tennessee

Clement Bezold, Institute for Alternative Futures

Eli Yablonovich, UC-Berkeley

Robert Urban, Johnson and Johnson (formerly of MIT's Koch Center)

Sangtae Kim, Purdue University

Piotr Grodzinski, National Institute of Health

Stanley Williams, Hewlett-Packard

James Murday, University of Southern California

Mark Lundstrom, Purdue University

Jain Cao, Northwestern University

Lee Cronin, University of Glasgow.