A. J. Jacobs will discuss his noteworthy experiences communicating unusual ideas, and maybe even unpopular ones. Drawing on guiding texts including the Constitution, the Encyclopedia Britannica, the Bible, and George Washington’s “110 Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation,” (#98, Drink not nor talk with your mouth full neither Gaze about you while you are a Drinking) he will share his perspectives on how to build up public consensus and excitement about science.

About the speaker

A.J. Jacobs is an author, lecturer, journalist, and human guinea pig. He has written four New York Times bestsellers combining humor, science, memoir, and a dash of self-help. He is also editor at large at Esquire magazine, columnist for Mental Floss magazine, and a commentator on NPR. He has written for The New York Times, New York magazine, Dental Economics magazine, which is one of the top five magazines about the financial side of tooth care, and Entertainment Weekly. He has made appearances on shows such as Oprah, The Today Show, Conan, The Colbert Report, Good Morning America, CNN, The Dr. Oz Show, and given several TED talks. Jacobs is also a periodic commentator on NPR’s Weekend Edition Saturday, dispensing world-shaking historical trivia, including segments on 19th-century lawmakers who spat chewing tobacco in their opponents’ faces. Jacobs grew up in New York City. His father, a lawyer, holds the world record for the most footnotes in a law review article (4,812). His wife works for a highbrow scavenger hunt called Watson Adventures. He lives in New York with his family. He was also the answer to 1-Down in a New York Times crossword puzzle.

This Grand Rounds lecture is co-hosted by the CUNY Institute for Implementation Science in Population Health (ISPH), which was founded on the notion that substantial improvements in population health can be efficiently achieved through better implementation of existing strategies, policies, and interventions across multiple sectors. With that in mind, we study how to translate and scale up evidence-based interventions and policies within clinical and community settings to improve population health and reduce health disparities. cunyisph.org

Time: 5:00 pm EDT

Free!

Registration