[inaudible conversations] okay. Hello, everyone. Were going to get started. I hope you can hear me okay. Hello. Good evening, everyone. When you have an event on one of the most miserable days of the year, you get very nervous. But its great to see so many people here tonight on what is a truly awful new york city evening. We didnt really worry too much about it. Can you hear me okay now . A little better . Mic check. Okay. We didnt worry too much about it because we have a great draw today. For those of you who dont know me, my name is eric kleinen berg, professor of sociology here at nyu and also the director of the institute for public knowledge. You are in the kind of annexed space of the institute for public knowledge. Were hosting this evenings event, and we do a lot of events like this. Were the part of nyu that tries to take ideas and intellectuals that might otherwise spend too much time merchandise the ivory tower and project them out into the world. So we really aim to gener