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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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Museum of Science, Boston

One of the world's largest science centers, the Museum of Science, Boston attracts 1.6 million visitors a year through vibrant programs and over 550 interactive exhibits. Its mission is to stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and society. Other features include the Thomson Theater of Electricity; Current Science & Technology Center; Charles Hayden Planetarium; Gilliland Observatory; and Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum's exhibit plan, Science Is an Activity, has been awarded several National Science Foundation grants and profoundly influenced exhibit development at other major science centers.

http://www.mos.org

Fab Lab: How to Make (Almost) Anything

Wed, Mar 10, 2010

Fab Lab creator and MIT physicist Neil Gershenfeld offers a look at how personal fabrication is ushering in a revolution in do-it-yourself design and manufacturing. Give ordinary people the right tools, and they will design and build the most extraordinary things. That’s the idea behind Fab Labs, which provide access to prototype tools for personal fabrication—helping citizen inventors turn their dreams into reality. Fab Labs have spread from their start in inner-city Boston to the bottom of Africa and the top of Norway, with projects tackling applications in areas including healthcare, agriculture, housing, and communications.

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Art, Gender, and Politics in Egypt: Queen Hapshepsut

Fri, Dec 6, 2002

Chahinda Karim discusses how art can mirror society and how Ancient Egypt's surviving artistic tradition can throw light on the life and times of Thutmosides. Before Catherine the Great of Russia, Joan of Arc of France, or Empress Wu Zetian of China, Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt left her mark as one of history's most significant female rulers. Her story is told through archeological evidence, including mummy markings, pottery, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The art and architecture of the time paints a picture of Hatshepsut as a master politician, pioneering expedition sponsor, and assiduous promoter of the arts. Despite her successes, there is doubt about her effectiveness as a leader. Attempts by her nephew and successor, Thutmose III, to destroy all references to Hatshepsut leave holes in the history and add fuel to the debate.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Double Helix: Genomes to Biological Networks

Wed, Mar 5, 2003

This is the fourth in a four-part series of lectures celebrating the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA in 1953. These lectures explore the impact this breakthrough is having on scientific discovery today. Part IV: The human genome project has provided researchers with a growing list of genes; but the key to understanding life, both in health and sickness, is the script that outlines how these cellular players interact with each other. Ideker discusses how researchers are using new approaches to biology to map out cell circuitry and illuminate the cause of disease.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane

Fri, Feb 7, 2003

Tom Crouch, expert on the Wright Brothers and senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum, discusses how Wilber and Orville Wright started revolutions in transportation, warfare, leisure, and communication, and changed how we all see our world: as a whole. Before the Wright Brothers took their historic flight in north Carolina almost 100 years ago, jetting off to Bermuda was about as realistic as vacationing on Mars.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Double Helix: The Script for Life

Wed, Mar 5, 2003

This is the first in a four-part series of lectures celebrating the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA in 1953. These lectures explore the impact this breakthrough is having on scientific discovery today. Part I: The human genome project has provided researchers with a growing list of genes; but the key to understanding life, both in health and sickness, is the script that outlines how these cellular players interact with each other. Young discusses how researchers are using new approaches to biology to map out cell circuitry and illuminate the cause of disease.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Double Helix: Implications for Disease

Wed, Mar 19, 2003

This is the third in a four-part series of lectures celebrating the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA. These lectures explore the impact this breakthrough is having on scientific discovery today. Part III: Weinberg and Daly discuss how scientists are using genetics to understand disease. Weinberg will present the ways that genetic research impacts our approach to studying and understanding cancer. Daly will discuss how new genomic technologies and computational analysis are aiding in the hunt for disease-causing genes.

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Human Genome and Beyond

Fri, Feb 16, 2001

Dr. Eric Lander, director of genome research at the Whitehead/MIT Institute, talks about the tools of modern genome research that he and his research group have developed, including genomic maps of the human, mouse and rat genomes in connection with the Human Genome Project and techniques for genetic analyses of complex, multigenic traits. He has applied these techniques to the understanding of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, renal failure and dwarfism.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Planets and the Search for New Earths

Wed, Oct 16, 2002

Wesley Traub describes how scientists have succeeded in their quest to find new planets, what they have seen so far, and how they will look for life on these new worlds. Less than a decade ago, the only planets known to exist were the nine of our solar system. Now astronomers have found more than 100 worlds around other Milky Way stars. Most are Jupiter-sized, but Earth-sized orbs may be hiding nearby.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Our Special Planet: A Cradle for Life

Wed, Oct 23, 2002

Peter D. Ward describes the unique traits of our solar system that helped life to gain an initial foothold. Once life arises, it survives tenaciously. Ward explains how important is it to have a Jupiter to divert threatening swarms of comets, a large moon to provide nurturing tides, and a crust of moving plates to recycle the stuff of our world. Despite the flood of newly discovered worlds, Ward argues that our planet is more precious than we may realize.

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Next Generation Communication Technologies

Wed, Jan 14, 2004

This discussion looks at the current and potential uses of communications technologies and what the implications may be for today and tomorrow. From the invention of the telegraph in 1837 to modern day digital cell phones and GPS navigation systems, communication technologies have come a long way in a short time. Communication devices now serve a broad range of uses, from controlling satellites more than a billion miles from Earth to communicating with tiny networks of devices inside the human body.

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Museum of Science, Boston