Discovery Building
Crossroads of Ideas: How Failure Fuels Innovation
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, Orchard View Room, Madison, WI, United StatesPart I in our Productive Failure Mini-SeriesFailure is often seen as a setback—but in science and entrepreneurship, it can be the spark that drives breakthroughs. In this first installment of our Productive Failure Mini-Series, explore how missteps, unexpected results, and strategic pivots shape discovery, strengthen ideas, and fuel innovation. Through real-world examples from the laboratory and the startup landscape, this conversation reveals how embracing uncertainty and learning from what doesn’t work can open the door to transformative success.
Crossroads of Ideas: The Upside of AI Failure
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, Orchard View Room, Madison, WI, United StatesWhat failure in AI can teach us, and how it can inspire innovation, critical thinking, and resilience.Failure is part of progress, especially in the fast-moving field of artificial intelligence. This Crossroads of Ideas event, part of our three-part mini-series on “productive failure,” brings together David Fields (UW-Madison Department of East Asian Studies) and Rob Nowak (UW-Madison Computer, Data & Information Sciences) to explore what happens when AI technology falls short. From real-world research that didn’t go as planned to the broader implications for society, this conversation highlights how failures can deepen our understanding, shape future innovation, and help us navigate technology’s [...]
Crossroads of Ideas: When Antibiotics Fail
Discovery Building 330 North Orchard Street, Orchard View Room, Madison, WI, United StatesHow do we manage when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites no longer respond to antimicrobial medicines? What are our options?
