In his talk, Michael Meeropol, son of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg will be in conversation with Paul Solman, PBS NewsHour correspondent. They will examine the striking parallels—and crucial differences—between the Red Scare and the Trump era.

Paul Starr argues Americans' choices to elect Obama and Trump is no anomaly, but rather a manifestation of deep‐rooted tensions or “contradictions” in the nation’s character and institutions. Starr will be in conversation with Harvard Law School Professor Randall Kennedy.

In an age of memes, late-night talk shows, and viral video takedowns, satire has become a serious weapon. But what happens when humor masks deeper political truths?

Learn first hand from researchers working with dangerous predators and communities that live alongside them how they are using a combination of new technology and indigenous wisdom to coexist.

An expert panel will shed light on how presidential authority has evolved over time, the constitutional debates surrounding executive power, and how a historical lens is illuminating and relevant today.

Arthur Kay is an entrepreneur, urban designer, and advisor, building solutions for sustainable cities. He is an Advisor to Innovo Group, and founder of several technology and urban design companies, including Bio-bean; Skyroom; and the Key Worker Homes Fund. Arthur is an advisor to various organisations focused on building sustainable cities, including serving as a Board Member of Transport for London (TfL), the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Museum of the Home, and Fast Forward 2030.

Matthew Shaer is a contributing writer at The New York Times Magazine and a fellow at New America. His longform reporting regularly appears in Esquire, National Geographic, The Atlantic, and Harper's, among other magazines. He is also the host of the new weekly podcast Origin Stories, which explores the creative processes of some of the world's best novelists, playwrights, screenwriters, and journalists. Shaer lives in Atlanta with his family and a beagle named Salty Dog.

The Cambridge Forum holds a discussion on America’s cultural identity becoming inextricably linked to the automobile, examining how what began as a convenient, and often essential, mode of transportation has morphed for many into a tyrannical obsession symbolizing success and power.

In the past twenty years, cars have grown larger, heavier and more intimidating. Mimicking the appearance of military vehicles with names to match, massive SUVs dominate the landscape and the statistics are not pretty. Globally, cars directly take the lives of more than a million people annually. They also harm others through air pollution and environmental hazards, and increasingly they have the potential to be used as attack weapons.

Our growing dependency on cars is draining the earth’s natural resources, their carbon emissions drive climate change and they create unsafe streets and congestion, making the planet unlivable. We know this, yet we continue to ignore the negative consequences of our indulgent behavior and worship at the altar of the auto. Cars dominate our lives and we just love the personal comfort and distraction afforded by the gadgets behind the wheel.

The question for this panel: How long can we ignore the true costs of our driving habits on others and the planet, without paying the price?

Daniel Berger-Jones is an historian and Boston-based entrepreneur. He founded BHC and has 15 years experience conducting. He has won several awards,and worked with the Huntington. ART, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and others. He hosts several successful podcasts including A People’s History of Food and Drink but his interests span a plethora of fields including science, math and astronomy.

The Boston University School of Theology is proud to present the bi-annual Lowell Lecture, which features renowned speakers in fields related to theological studies.

This Lowell Lecture features Rev. Dr. Micah L. McCreary. He will explore the transformative journey of becoming a trauma-responsive leader by embracing, understanding, and transcending personal and collective wounds.