VENUE: The Long Center, Austin, TX

Sometimes, a little distance is all you need to see things in a brand-new way. For astronaut Terry Virts, his newfound perspective was from the International Space Station (ISS), where he installed the Cupola module, granting an unprecedented 360-degree view from the station. When he later became the commander of the ISS, he made good use of the Cupola, taking more photographs than any astronaut who came before him. Many of those images were later used in the National Geographic book, View From Above, and the IMAX film, A Beautiful Planet. But to hear Virts tell it, no photo can capture the perfect shade of blue from a sunrise viewed from outer space.

VENUE: The Long Center, Austin, TX

Filmmaker Filipe DeAndrade believes animals saved his life—and he wants to return the favor. Raised in poverty, surrounded by addiction and abuse, he felt voiceless. He related to animals, because they too were voiceless, and he fell in love with photography as a way to tell their stories. Now the star of Nat Geo’s digital series Untamed works to save the animals that saved him. In this presentation, DeAndrade will talk about finding your passion in life and living it with intent. Along the way, he’ll bring you face to face with lions, sharks, snakes, jaguars, jumping spiders, whales, and one of the rarest animals in the world—a hawk moth caterpillar that resembles a venomous snake.

VENUE: The Long Center, Austin, TX

Celebrated National Geographic Explorer and photographer Brian Skerry has spent nearly four decades exploring and documenting Earth’s oceans. For his latest project, he turns his lens to one of the world’s most beloved animals to illuminate startling new insights into their lives and culture. Discover the extraordinary communication skills and intricate social structures among four different species of whales—from the international cuisines of orcas to families of beluga whales playing at their “summer resort”—and learn what these majestic creatures can teach us about ourselves and our planet.

VENUE: Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

Discover the marvels of our cosmic backyard through the eyes of the robotic spacecraft sent out to explore it. Aerospace engineer Tracy Drain works at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to develop, test, and operate the complex machines that uncover some of the countless mysteries within and beyond our solar system. Join her for thrilling stories of engineering challenges and scientific discoveries from the Kepler mission and its hunt for planets beyond our solar system, a behind-the-scenes account of the Juno mission to Jupiter, and a peek into the Psyche mission to one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt. With infectious enthusiasm, Drain will shine a light on the darkness and vastness of space.  

VENUE: Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Canada

Legendary climber and National Geographic adventure writer Mark Synnott made his name as a big wall pioneer with numerous first ascents. Today, he helps scientists make significant findings in distant, inaccessible places. Through it all, he’s stayed on the leading edge of discovery.

VENUE: The Smith Center Las Vegas, NV

Through this fascinating exploration, art historian and microarchaeologist Dr. Diana Magaloni Kerpel brings ancient Mesoamerican cultures to life in a way you’ve never seen before. Discover how the iconic Olmec heads of Mexico were created, explore the true meaning behind the imposing Teotihuacan pyramids, and get a glimpse of the culture and daily life in the Mayan city of Chichen Itza. Through her uncovering of millennia-old murals and sculptures throughout Mexico and Central America, Dr. Magaloni Kerpel has been able to better understand these ancient cultures through their use of colors, textures, and techniques.

VENUE: Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Dallas, TX

As a child, Kakani Katija dreamed of being an astronaut. She trained as an aerospace engineer but eventually became captivated by an even less-explored environment than space: our Earth’s oceans. As a bioengineer, instead of searching space for signs of life, she studies the waters that are teeming with it. Katija hopes to illuminate the twilight zones of the ocean—its little-explored midwaters—with technology inspired by the creatures who live in it.