TORONTO, Sept. 24 /CNW/ -- Is going into space a noble endeavour or a waste of our time and resources? Do advancements in computers and robotics make life easier or are humans getting too dependent on technology? And having unlocked the mysteries of genetics, are we bound for greater discoveries or has science gone too far? From October 19 to 23 at 8 pm TVO's flagship current affairs program The Agenda with Steve Paikin will tackle the big issues in science as it broadcasts live from the Quantum to Cosmos Festival (Q2C), a gathering of top scientists from around the world at Waterloo's world-renowned Perimeter Institute.

"I'm really looking forward to our Q2C shows," says anchor and senior editor Steve Paikin. "We're very privileged to be part of this festival and to have such a tremendous pool of brilliance on hand to be part of the show. I think anyone tuning in or following the discussions online will have their mind expanded like never before."

The diverse panel of guests over the five nights will include top scientists from a wide field of disciplines, writers, including award-winning science journalists, innovative business leaders and space explorers. The schedule of programs on air and online is as follows:

Are We Bound for Space? - Monday October 19
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Is space travel necessary to ensure human survival as physicist Stephen Hawking has stated, or should our efforts be focused on Earth-bound problems like fighting climate change and overpopulation?

Guests: Chris Hadfield, Canadian astronaut; Chris McKay, scientist, NASA Ames Research Center; Bob Richards, founder and CEO, Odyssey Moon Ltd.; Donna Shirley, aerospace engineer and author (Managing Martians).

Wired 24/7? - Tuesday October 20
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Advancements in technology have affected almost every aspect of our daily lives: our thinking, our relationships and the way our work works. But are we comfortable living in a world that never shuts off, and is technological progress always for the better?

Guests: Mike Lazaridis, president and co-CEO, Research in Motion; Neil Gershenfeld, director, Center for Bits and Atoms, MIT; Raymond Laflamme, physicist, Perimeter Institute and the Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo; Jaron Lanier, computer scientist and writer, Berkeley University; Neal Stephenson, author (The Baroque Cycle).

Whose DNA Is It? - Wednesday October 21
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Are we ready to come face to face with our innermost genetic secrets? Will this knowledge help us make wise choices? Can we trust ourselves and others with safeguarding this most potent knowledge?

Guests: Sean B.