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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

Funding provided by:
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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

  • Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth II

    Wed, Oct 5, 2005
    James Hanken, evolutionary biologist, talks about cosmic evolution- the modern scientific story of who we are and whence we came; the story of us.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Onset of Civilization and Prospects for the Future II

    Wed, Oct 12, 2005
    Fred Speir and Jill Tarter examine the continuously unfolding story of cosmic evolution, the modern scientific story of who we are and whence we came.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston
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    Sustaining Life: Biodiversity and Human Health

    Fri, Oct 3, 2008
    Eric Chivian and Noel Michele Holbrook discuss why we can no longer see ourselves as separate from the natural world, nor assume that we will be unharmed by its alteration. The Earth's biodiversity, the rich variety of life on our planet, is disappearing at an alarming rate. And while human health depends, to a larger extent than we might imagine, on biodiversity, this essential relationship is rarely addressed.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Ken Burns on National Parks

    Thu, Sep 10, 2009
    Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan their six-part PBS documentary series *The National Parks: America's Best Idea*. Set against breathtaking backdrops, the film is the story of an idea as uniquely American as the Declaration of Independence and just as radical -- that the most special places in the nation should be preserved, not for royalty or the rich, but for everyone. Burns and series writer/co-producer Duncan discuss highlights from the 12-hour series. Included are scenes from Denali National Park that feature photographs by Brad Washburn, renowned explorer and founding director of the Museum, as well as interviews with Brad and Barbara Washburn.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston
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    Solving the Stradivarius Secret

    Wed, Mar 25, 2009
    Physicist William F. "Jack" Fry and violinist Rose Mary Harbison rediscover the legendary sound of the Stradivarius violin. Since the early 1700s, "Golden Age" Italian violins have been revered for their superior tone. Scores of scientists, artisans, and musicians have sought answers to the mystery of their sound, but none has been able to duplicate the magic created by these coveted instruments. Characterizing varnish, wood, and geography as secondary factors, William Fry has revived the 17th century science of levers, focusing on the violin's inner graduations.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • David Grann: Lost City of Z

    Sat, Jun 6, 2009
    *New Yorker* writer David Grann talks about his adventure into the hazardous Amazon jungle to retrace the footsteps of the great Colonel Percy Fawcett, who ventured there in 1925 in search of the fabled ancient kingdom of El Dorado, which he dubbed "Z." Hoping to answer decades-long questions about Fawcett's fate, as well as the existence of this "Lost City," Grann's search for the truth lead to some remarkable discoveries.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Birth and Death of Stars and Planets II

    Wed, Sep 28, 2005
    Astronomer Michael Shara and planetologist Dimitar Sasselov explore the many varied changes that have produced our star and our planet as we examine the "arrow of time" of cosmic evolution. Eric Chaisson moderates.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • From Stem Cells To Cancer Cells

    Fri, Oct 21, 2005
    Fernando Camargo discusses his research on how cancer arises, what can be done to stop it, and whether cancer is related to stem cells. The human stem cells found in our bone marrow have the amazing ability to develop into different types of cells such as blood or immune system cells. This happens in all of us everyday, but we know little about how it happens. Camargo's research centers on figuring out how stem cells travel down their path to become a new bone or blood cell. Recently, new theories suggest that stem cells have some of the same characteristics as cancer cells. Figuring out how stem cells replicate themselves, divide into specialized cells, or even give rise to a cancer would provide answers for research scientists and maybe treatments for patients.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Secret Hunt for North American Diamonds

    Fri, Nov 7, 2003
    Award-winning journalist Kevin Krajick tells the amazing story of modern day prospectors in Canada's frozen North who did the impossible: found diamonds in North America. Hear about the technological tools these two men used, the geology that provides conditions where diamonds are formed, and the fortune found and claimed right under the noses of large multinational companies.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Acadia to Zion: Understanding Our National Parks

    Fri, Dec 5, 2003
    Gillian Bowser, former assistant to the Director of the National Park Service and chief scientist in many NPS research efforts, talks about the what, why and who of the National Park System. The United States National Park System (NPS) is made up by sites as diverse in use and nature as this nation's states and territories are themselves, such as Acadia, the Grand Canyon, and the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Today it is comprised of 384 designated areas, and attracts over 421 million visits each year. The NPS is dedicated to preserving the natural and cultural heritage of this country, but what does that mean? While the NPS has always been at the forefront of discussing the relationship between America's varied and vast environment and the society that has developed within it, what this means in California and in Connecticut can be vastly different.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston
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