EG 2018 Day 2 Recap

Friday morning kicked off with some patio mingling and coffee before returning to the auditorium for Session 3: The Good Fight.  Tony Trischka opened the session, delighting us with his dizzying banjo skills (joined by Jill Sobule and ETHEL), followed by Rick Smolan encouraging us with some positivity on the state of journalism in America.  Next, we were refreshed to hear Lee-Anne Walters share with us the fight currently happening in the US for clean water.  Amber and Marcus Capone then took the stage, sharing their inspiring story getting on the right path and working hard to stay there.  EG alumni magician Eric Mead introduced us to Mahdi "The Magician" Gilbert who wowed the audience with his magic, rising above physical challenges that many saw as a barrier to performing magic. 

Session 4: Works In Progress follwed after a beautiful sunny break on the patio.  For their 10 year reunion with EG, the piano duo Anderson & Roe delighted us with "Hallelujah" to kick off the session.  Repeat EG-er Peter Sagal reminded us of the rule of law that guides us all and makes the US truly unique. Laurence Tribe then joined Peter and guided us through the core of our current political situation and on the right path to a solution.  Next, tech investor and musician Roger McNamee raised our awareness of what Facebook is doing to our culture, followed by Larry Lessig calling on the EG community to restore our representative government. Finishing Session 4 was a very moving presentation from former Whitehouse photographer Pete Souza who shared a powerful visual journey through Barack Obama's presidency.

Finally, to close off Friday, Session 5: Nature Justly Viewed began with urban farmer Annie Novak fascinating us with the latest in bird ecosystems.  Next, Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant took stage to share something more important than science (watch the archive!) followed by Cheryl Knott bringing us into her life of adventure! Continuing the nature theme, Doug Allan wowed the EG audience with amazing underwater videos and truly remarkable stories before Planet Earth II producer Rachel Butler opened our minds to the vast ocean and how we can play our part in keeping it blue.  Day 2 of EG 2018 was packed full of extraordinary science, beautiful imagery, and a call to each of us working to make the world a better place.

Photo by: Nadejda Blaeva