TRANSCENDENT MAN Exclusive Live Cinema Event Features Ray Kurzweil and Panel in Candid Discussion about the Future of Humanity

CENTENNIAL, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Transcendent Man: A Conversation About the Future will be broadcast LIVE from Lincoln Center in New York City on Wednesday, August 3 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern / 7:00 p.m. Central / 6:00 p.m. Mountain / 8:00 p.m. Pacific (tape delayed). This first-of-its-kind event will allow people across the country to participate in a powerful discussion about the possibility of immortality becoming reality by 2045, as well as other implications of accelerating technologies. The evening will begin with a brief presentation by inventor and futurist, Ray Kurzweil, followed by a provocative panel discussion, which will incorporate clips from the critically acclaimed documentary TRANSCENDENT MAN. Panelists include Kurzweil; Barry Ptolemy, filmmaker; Deepak Chopra (Live via Teleportec), philosopher; Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Inc.; Michio Kaku, physicist; Tan Le, technology entrepreneur; and Dean Kamen, inventor. Pre-recorded remarks from former Vice President Al Gore, Suzanne Somers, Quincy Jones, Bill Maher, Elon Musk and others will also be included during the event.

“This special live event will give audiences a chance to hear directly from the celebrated inventor and a world renowned panel about the theory of immortality and the progress being made in that regard right now.”

Tickets for Transcendent Man: A Conversation About the Future are available at participating box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, please visit the website (theaters and participants may be subject to change).

Throughout the evening, Kurzweil and guests will discuss many of the topics presented in TRANSCENDENT MAN, including longevity, reverse aging, accelerating technologies, merging with machines, augmenting human intelligence, and the philosophical implications of these accelerating technologies.

In advance of this event, people around the country may Tweet (#tmlive) or Facebook (facebook.com/transcendentman – include #tmlive in post) their questions in advance, for the opportunity to be answered directly by the live panel, making this an interactive and national discussion.

Presented by NCM Fathom, Ptolemaic and Therapy Studios, Transcendent Man: A Conversation About the Future will be broadcast to nearly 500 movie theaters nationwide through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

TRANSCENDENT MAN chronicles the life and ideas of inventor, futurist, and author Kurzweil, one of the world’s most respected advocates of the role of technology in our future. Ptolemy follows Kurzweil around the globe as he presents the daring arguments from his bestselling book, The Singularity is Near: When Humans Transcend Biology.

"I reached two powerful conclusions after reading The Singularity is Near,” said Ptolemy. “The first was that this was the most profound book I had ever read, and the second was that as a filmmaker I had to turn these ideas into film. Ray inspires me, his is the uniquely human story of our species struggling to break through barriers and transcend our limitations."

Kurzweil predicts that with the ever-accelerating rate of technological change, “humanity is fast approaching an era in which our intelligence will become increasingly non-biological and millions of times more powerful. This will be the dawning of a new civilization, enabling us to transcend our biological limitations. In Kurzweil’s post-biological world, boundaries blur between human and machine, real and virtual. Human aging and illness are reversed and we vastly extend human longevity.” Throughout TRANSCENDENT MAN, Kurzweil maintains a radically optimistic view of the future, while emphasizing the importance of addressing inherent dangers.

“Ray Kurzweil's theory that human life will be interconnected with machines and computers within the next several decades is fascinating people worldwide,” said Dan Diamond, vice president of Fathom. “This special live event will give audiences a chance to hear directly from the celebrated inventor and a world renowned panel about the theory of immortality and the progress being made in that regard right now.”

About National CineMedia (NCM)

NCM operates NCM Media Networks, a leading integrated media company reaching U.S. consumers in movie theaters, online and through mobile technology. NCM Cinema Network and NCM Fathom present cinema advertising and events across the nation’s largest digital in-theater network, comprised of theaters owned by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CNK), Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) and other leading regional theater circuits. NCM’s theater advertising network covers 170 Designated Market Areas® (49 of the top 50) and includes approximately 17,200 screens (16,100 digital). During 2010, over 680 million patrons attended movies shown in theaters currently included in NCM’s network (including Consolidated Theatres, Rave Cinemas, Coming Attractions and Digiplex Destinations). The NCM Fathom Events broadcast network is comprised of over 600 locations in 163 Designated Market Areas® (all of the top 50). The NCM Interactive Network offers 360-degree integrated marketing opportunities in combination with cinema, encompassing 43 entertainment-related websites, online widgets and mobile applications. National CineMedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: NCMI) owns a 48.6% interest in and is the managing member of National CineMedia LLC. For more information, visit www.nationalcinemedia.com or www.ncm.com or www.FathomEvents.com.

About Ray Kurzweil

Ray Kurzweil is one of the world’s leading futurists, with a twenty-five year track record of accurate predictions. Called the “restless genius” by The Wall Street Journal and “the ultimate thinking machine” by Forbes magazine, Kurzweil was selected as one of the top entrepreneurs by Inc. magazine, which described him as the “rightful heir to Thomas Edison.” Inventor of the first CCD flat bed scanner and many other technology firsts, Kurzweil was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame and has received the National Medal of Technology, the Lemelson-MIT Prize (the world’s largest for innovation), 19 honorary doctorates and awards from three U.S. presidents. Ray has been one of the most respected and provocative advocates of the role of technology in our future and predicts that with the ever-accelerating rate of technological change, humanity is fast approaching an era in which our intelligence will become increasingly non-biological. For more information: http://www.kurzweilai.net/ray-kurzweil-bio