Genius Cubed Gala to Honor Ernő Rubik, Temple Grandin, and Oliver Sacks

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Jersey City, NJ – Liberty Science Center will hold its Genius Cubed gala on Friday, April 27 with three distinguished honorees: Ernő Rubik, architect, professor, and inventor of Rubik’s Cube; Temple Grandin, a doctor of animal science and advocate for autistic individuals; and Oliver Sacks, a physician, best-selling author, and professor. During the evening, magician and endurance artist David Blaine, currently working in-house at the Center to develop new performances, will “wow” attendees with special feats of magic.

Ernő Rubik is an inventor, architect, founder and President Emeritus of the Hungarian Academy of Engineering and professor of design at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design and the Aquincum Institute of Technology. In 1974 he created Rubik’s Cube, a three-dimensional puzzle that became the world’s most popular toy and a universal symbol of creativity and innovation. A recipient of several prestigious international distinctions, Professor Rubik also acted as an Ambassador to the European Year of Creativity and Innovation in 2009.

Temple Grandin is well-known for her research in animal science as well as for her work helping members of the autistic community, their families, and others understand more fully what it means to be autistic. Non-verbal until the age of 4 and later diagnosed with autism, Dr. Grandin is a professor at Colorado State University, a best-selling author, an inventor, a livestock industry consultant, and an advocate for individuals with autism. She has been the subject of numerous profiles and news reports and in 2010, Time Magazine named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Oliver Sacks is a physician and professor of neurology and psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City. He is the author of ten popular books including The Mind’s Eye, Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain, The Man Who Mistook His Wife For a Hat and Awakenings, later adapted into a multiple Academy Award®-nominated film. Dr. Sacks’ works bring the fascinating world of neurology and brain science to a wide audience, and in addition to films, have inspired operas and plays performed around the world. Dr. Sacks was the first recipient of the Columbia University Artist Award in recognition of his contributions to the arts.

Paul Hoffman, Liberty Science Center’s President and CEO says, “In honoring these accomplished visionaries we are celebrating the human mind. We each have the creativity and power to innovate and change the world for the better as these leaders demonstrate.”

Special guest David Blaine first became interested in magic at age four after watching street magicians in New York City. He is credited with reinvigorating a low-key, “old-fashioned” style of magic that relies more on skill than on dazzle. Mr. Blaine often turns video cameras on audience members, recording their spontaneous reactions to his artistry in what has been called a “show within a show.” He is also well-known for a series of endurance performances, most notably holding his breath under water for over 17 minutes.

Gala proceeds benefit Liberty Science Center’s exhibitions and programs, which offer exceptional experiences for learners of all ages onsite, offsite, and online. Thanks to the support of its sponsors, the Science Center is a vital educational resource for tomorrow’s leaders. For more details, see LSC.org.