Where technology meets the examined life.
Discover carefully curated public lectures, author talks, debates and intellectual events in San Francisco, USA — selected by The Mindful City editorial team.
Last updated: August 17, 2026
Prof. Shoshana Zuboff · San Francisco Main Library · August 27, 2026
Harvard Business School professor Shoshana Zuboff explains how tech giants have created a new economic order based on the commodification of human experience — and what individuals…
Kate Raworth · SFJAZZ Center · September 29, 2026
Economist Kate Raworth challenges the foundational assumptions of mainstream economics — growth, GDP, rational man — and presents her visual framework for an economy that meets hum…
Elizabeth Kolbert · The Interval at Long Now Foundation · August 18, 2026
Author of The Sixth Extinction, Elizabeth Kolbert presents new reporting on biodiversity loss and the policy choices that could alter the trajectory. Her talk will be followed by a…
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) · August 18, 2026
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie discusses narrative, memory, and the global responsibilities of writers in a moderated conversation. The event will include a reading and a brief audience …
Njideka Akunyili Crosby · SFMOMA, Phyllis Wattis Theater · August 18, 2026
Artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby discusses her latest body of work, exploring memory, hybridity, and the visual language of migration. The presentation includes a slide lecture and a…
David Eagleman · The Interval at Long Now · August 18, 2026
Neuroscientist and author David Eagleman explores how the brain constructs time and what that means for human decision-making and technology. The talk will connect neuroscience fin…
Rebecca Solnit · San Francisco Public Library - Main Branch · August 18, 2026
Rebecca Solnit reads from recent essays and discusses the intersections of geography, activism, and narrative in contemporary life. She will take audience questions after a short r…
Lisa Feldman Barrett · SFMOMA - Phyllis Wattis Theater · August 18, 2026
Neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett outlines new research showing that emotions are constructed by the brain and how that understanding reshapes mental health and social policy. Th…
Julie Mehretu, Hilton Als (moderator) · San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) · August 18, 2026
Painter Julie Mehretu discusses her large-scale work, archives, and the politics of abstraction in conversation with critic Hilton Als. The program includes slides and a moderated …
Fei-Fei Li · Google San Francisco - Zeitgeist Series · August 18, 2026
AI researcher Fei-Fei Li explores the intersection of machine learning, human creativity, and ethical stewardship in the age of generative models. Her talk will include examples fr…
Zadie Smith · SFMOMA · August 18, 2026
Zadie Smith reads from and discusses her latest novel, focusing on craft, voice, and contemporary urban life. The event includes a short reading and an onstage conversation with ti…
Maria Popova · City Arts & Lectures at Nourse Theatre · August 18, 2026
Brain Pickings founder Maria Popova examines the craft of connected reading and the cultivation of curiosity in the attention economy. Her talk considers how interdisciplinary thin…
Congressman Jared Huffman · San Francisco · August 18, 2026
Congressman Jared Huffman discusses threats posed by Christian nationalism and efforts to protect democratic institutions. The talk explores policy responses and civic activism.
Congressman Jared Huffman · San Francisco (Commonwealth Club Headquarters, 110 The Embarcadero) · August 18, 2026
A talk by Congressman Jared Huffman on threats to democratic institutions and the rise of Christian nationalism in American politics. The program examines policy and civic response…
Shoshana Zuboff · The Commonwealth Club of California — San Francisco Clubhouse · August 19, 2026
Harvard Business School professor and author Shoshana Zuboff discusses the societal impacts of surveillance capitalism and emerging strategies for public pushback. The talk will ex…
Paul Krugman · The Commonwealth Club of California (San Francisco) · August 19, 2026
Nobel laureate Paul Krugman addresses contemporary macroeconomic challenges, supply-chain fragility, and the policy choices shaping global trade in the next decade. He will take au…
Ta-Nehisi Coates · San Francisco Public Library — Main Library (Author Reading) · August 19, 2026
Ta-Nehisi Coates reads from his forthcoming book and reflects on race, memory, and the promise of American democracy. A moderated conversation and audience Q&A will follow the read…
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) — Phyllis Wattis Theater · August 19, 2026
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie reads selections from her forthcoming book and explores themes of memory, migration, and identity. The reading is followed by a moderated conversation and …
Mary Roach · San Francisco Public Library, Main Branch · August 19, 2026
Science writer Mary Roach reads from her new book exploring the oddball history of medical experiments and the ethics that follow. She'll follow with a moderated Q&A and book signi…
Congressman Jared Huffman · San Francisco · August 19, 2026
Congressman Jared Huffman addresses challenges to democracy and outlines his perspective on countering Christian nationalism.