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Cambridge Forum hosts free, public discussions that inform and engage, so that people can better explore the varied issues and ideas that shape our changing world. CF broadcasts its live events via podcasts, weekly NPR shows and online presentations via GBH Forum Network on YouTube.

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What are We Up to in Space?

Tue, Dec 2, 2025

Back in the 1950s, NASA set lofty and noble ambitions for humanity: to “explore the unknown in air and space, to innovate for the benefit of humanity, and to inspire the world through discovery.” And for the past 75 years, it is true that NASA has made the seemingly impossible, possible. However, the agency’s agenda has shifted dramatically over the ensuing years with the advent of Star Wars and the creation of commercial enterprises that carried research payloads into space on board the shuttle, for profit.

This forum will provide a reality check on our current role in space, to consider what is really motivating our actions, driving our expensive excursions to Mars, and shaping our international satellite placement industry. Have we really considered our role, responsibility, and stewardship in space alongside the potential profits to be made?

The conversation will be moderated by Curt Jaimungal, a Toronto-based mathematical physicist and host of the acclaimed podcast, "Theories of Everything," which fuses rigorous scientific analysis with profound philosophical inquiry.

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Building Hope in Cynical Times

Tue, Nov 18, 2025

Cynicism has become the default lens through which many people view American life. According to Pew research, our trust in institutions is steadily eroding and being replaced by a hardened belief that our systems are broken and most government promises, empty lies. As Thanksgiving approaches, Cambridge Forum speaks with Rev. Andre K. Bennett, Steve Starring Grant and Emmanuel Maduneme, who have all forged strategies to navigate the stresses of everyday existence. Their experiences offer pragmatic suggestions, and optimistic ideas about how meaning can be reclaimed in a cynical age.

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Democracy or Whatever - Can Humor Help?

Tue, Nov 4, 2025

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?

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BIG CARS - At What Cost?

Tue, Oct 14, 2025

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?

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A.I. AND THE DEATH OF CRITICAL THINKING

Tue, Sep 23, 2025

Schools and colleges are open for business – it’s the fall semester – but the statistics are depressing. Nationally, high school seniors have scored the worst on reading results since 1992. The data, from the respected National Assessment of Education Progress, showed that a third of 12th-graders who were tested last year, did not meet basic reading skills. Forbes magazine recently reported on the “dark side of AI: tracking the decline of human cognitive skills” and the National Endowment for the Arts noted that federal data showed a slump in reading for pleasure. So, is any or all of this attributable to the invasion of AI into our kids’ classrooms?

ChatGPT was initially pitched as a useful technological “tool”, yet more educational analysts are expressing concerns that tests show we are losing fundamental critical thinking skills in the process. As Sarah O’Connor commented in a Financial Times opinion piece, “without solid skills of your own, it is only a few short steps from being supported by the machine, to finding yourself dependent on it, or subject to it.”

MIT’s recent media study published unsettling results on cognitive performance using ChatGPT and the only people who seem unconcerned are Sam Altman and other tech leaders. CF has put together a panel of AI observers, including a neuroscientist, a professor of humanities and a student to discuss some of the challenges and concerns associated with generative AI and learning. Until we know more about the cognitive effects of technology like ChatGPT, should we be inserting it into the classroom? And if, as recent studies indicate, it homogenizes thinking and creativity, are we content to let our kids’ education go into experimental free fall?

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Robert Reich with "Coming up Short: A Memoir of my America"

Tue, Sep 2, 2025

Join former U.S. Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and Harvard Kennedy School professor Richard Parker for a powerful and personal conversation on democracy, inequality, and the moral foundations of a good society. In this talk, Reich reflects on his memoir Coming Up Short, shares lessons from decades in public service, and explores the roots of political disillusionment in America.

From the rise of authoritarianism to the erosion of democratic institutions, Reich and Parker examine the forces shaping our political landscape—and offer hope through civic engagement, progressive values, and the next generation of leaders.

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The Life and Legacy of Malcolm X

Tue, Jun 10, 2025

One hundred years after his birth and sixty years after his untimely death, Malcolm X still haunts the American consciousness. Malcolm X’s short life has been the subject of a posthumous autobiography by Alex Haley, several biographies and a biopic by director, Spike Lee. Yet the man, his philosophy, his life and his revolutionary rise from felon to icon - defy easy classification.

According to one book critic “Malcolm X still haunts and inspires this nation — in ways we often fail to understand.”

Now Mark Whitaker has put together the missing pieces to present a full and intriguing picture of the man’s life and legacy in The Afterlife of Malcolm X. Beginning with Malcolm Little’s origins in a childhood marred by racial discrimination in Nebraska and Michigan, Malcolm is 6 years old when his father is found dead; shortly after his mother ends up being institutionalized. Placed in various foster homes, Malcolm excels at school but is discouraged by his white teachers from becoming a lawyer. After dropping out in eight grade he ends up in Harlem in the world of drug use and petty crime and by the time he is 21, he is serving time in jail. But his secular descent eventually becomes his route to religious salvation when he discovers Islam, takes the name of Malcolm X and changes the course of American history.

Malcolm X’s iconic image and charismatic personality have amassed a cult-like following that has far outstripped the number of people who knew of him when he was alive. At times his politics have alternately been described as radical, traditional and everything in-between. But his eloquence and elegance, and his cool, hip style have stood the test of time. But who was the enigmatic Malcolm X – why was he murdered and by whom?

Author and journalist, Mark Whitaker helps us examine the amazing influence of the man, sixty years after his assassination as we evaluate Malcolm X’s enduring impact on American culture, politics and civil rights.

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CLAMOR: How Noise Took Over

Tue, May 27, 2025

A few years ago, the American Public Health Association declared noise to be a public health hazard, which leads to more heart disease, hearing loss and other health impacts as well as lost productivity. Noise isn’t just about decibel level – although that’s important - it is about its constancy and intrusiveness. Who likes that high-pitched car alarm that goes off at 3 am or the cacophony of bleeping machines that overload your nervous system, when you are trying to heal in a hospital bed?

Chris Berdik, a science and education journalist, first became interested in noise when he wrote a feature for the Boston Globe on noise pollution. He was captivated by the idea that a pollutant could inflict such wide-ranging harms to mental and physical wellbeing, which were both pervasive and inscrutable. Some people regarded noise as lethal as secondhand smoke, while others saw noise complaints as a proxy for being anti-tech or disliking your neighbors.

Berdik’s research took him to European villages and cities where EU regulations require settlements of a certain size to identify noise-protected “quiet areas”. He concluded that in order to mitigate the harmful effects of noise, loudness needs to be controlled and quiet protected. How often do we find ourselves having to shout in restaurants or repeat our orders; why can’t we focus on a deadline at work instead of our concentration being hijacked by the chatter of coworkers? Berdik suggests that “soundscapes” in workplaces, schools, hospitals and restaurants need to be planned in advance, so they can support not undermine our larger endeavors.

Whether you're a city dweller, educator, healthcare worker, or just someone craving a little peace and quiet, this conversation will change the way you hear the world.

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Joan C. Williams with Outclassed

Thu, May 22, 2025

Joan C. Williams - Distinguished Professor of Law at UC San Francisco - discusses 'Outclassed: How the Left Lost the Working Class and How to Get Them Back'. Williams’ new book is an urgent wake-up call to mend the broken relationship between college and non-college grads of all races that is driving politics to the far right in America. Williams says that by changing one thing - the class dynamics of our society - we could simultaneously protect democracy, spur progress on climate change, enact sane gun policies, and improve our response to the next pandemic.

According to Williams, the far right manipulates class anger to undercut progressive goals, and liberals often inadvertently play into their hands. She explains how to reverse that process by bridging the “diploma divide”, while maintaining core progressive values. She offers college-educated Americans insights into how their values reflect their lives and their lives reflect their privilege. With illuminating stories, Williams demonstrates how working-class values reflect working-class lives. She explains how the far right connects culturally with the working-class, deftly manipulating racism and masculine anxieties to deflect attention from the ways far-right policies produce the economic conditions that disadvantage the working-class. Whether you are a concerned citizen committed to saving democracy, a politician or a social justice activist in need of advice, 'Outclassed' offers concrete guidance on how liberals can forge a multi-racial cross-class coalition capable of delivering on progressive goals.

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CARBON: The Book of Life

Tue, May 6, 2025

Carbon gets a bad rap these days, according to author and environmentalist Paul Hawken, who urges us to widen our perception and response to the climate crisis. Too often carbon is maligned as the “driver” of climate change and blamed for the possible demise of civilization. However, this narrative is erroneous and misleading.

Carbon is an intriguing element; the only one that animates the entire living world. Manifesting in coal and diamonds, it displays a host of different properties because of its ability to bond easily. One vital example is carbon-dioxide, which allows plants to photosynthesize. Though carbon comprises a tiny fraction of Earth’s composition, our planet is lifeless without it.

Paul Hawken, veteran environmentalist and author, looks at the flow of life through the lens of carbon. Embracing a panoramic view of carbon’s omnipresence, he explores how this ubiquitous and essential element extends into every aperture of existence and shapes the entire fabric of life. Hawken charts a course across our planetary history, guiding us into the realms of plants, animals, insects, fungi, food, and farms to offer a new narrative for embracing carbon’s life-giving power and its possibilities for the future of human endeavor.

Hawken’s latest book, Carbon: The Book of Life illuminates the subtle connections between carbon and our collective human experience and suggests we see nature, carbon, and ourselves as exquisitely intertwined -inseparably connected.

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