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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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Science for the Public

Science for the Public is a grassroots nonprofit organization committed to the promotion of adult science literacy. The organization hosts public presentations by scientists at Boston Public Library, a community science TV series, and online science resources. Citizen participation is actively encouraged in the development of our programs and resources. Today, many of the most pressing issues of modern life require the expertise of scientists. Citizens must therefore have a reasonable understanding of science in order to function as responsible members of society. Further, as the pace of scientific discovery accelerates, modern citizens must be able to grasp new concepts and information that are reshaping our perspectives. Although the issue of science literacy is now being addressed at the K-12 level, there is no science curriculum for the adult population. And it is the adult population that votes, pays taxes and raises children.

http://www.scienceforthepublic.org/

  • Troubled Waters: Fewer Fish, Increasing Malnutrition

    Tue, Oct 25, 2016
    In recent years a combination of climate change, massive depletion of fish stocks by commercial fishing fleets, and exploitative trade policies are together creating nutritional crises in many poor nations. **Christopher Golden** explains the impact of these conditions on the health of millions of people. He also provides important facts about the nutritional differences between wild and farmed fish.
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  • Exploring the Dark Matter of the Microbial World

    Tue, Oct 18, 2016
    Microbes are virtually everywhere on the planet and all life depends on this microbial foundation. However, 99 percent of these microbes – the “dark matter” have not been identified. **Dr. Slava Epstein** explains why it is so difficult to isolate and identify microbes in general, and why there is an urgent search for bacteria for developing antibiotics.
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  • Breakthroughs in Nanotechnology

    Tue, Sep 27, 2016
    The Sonkusale Nanolab at Tufts University is currently engaged in cutting-edge research in several interdisciplinary areas, including nano-devices that benefit medicine and the life sciences. A major interest is the development of flexible, embedded sensors for diagnostics. **Dr. Sameer Sonkusale** and his team also work on zero-cost "do-it-yourself" diagnostics for the developing world.
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  • How Restorative Development Can Address Climate Change

    Tue, Sep 13, 2016
    **Dr. William Moomaw** explains how industrial agriculture, especially through synthetic fertilizers, has produced unprecedented damage to our soil, water, and atmosphere. The only viable option for recovering the health of these systems is restorative development, which emphasizes more natural approaches to farming that will revive the health of our soil, water and air. Restorative development addresses some of the gravest of climate risks, such as increased droughts, floods and atmospheric pollution.
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  • Enigmas of Life: Getting It Started and Becoming Complex

    Tue, Aug 16, 2016
    Scientists are still uncertain how the components of life on Earth combined to produce the simplest cells, and how complex cells eventually developed. Dr. Adam investigates both of these major questions and some associated assumptions, including whether the origin of life must have required water. The latter question is of great interest to astrobiologists engaged in the search for life elsewhere.
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    Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos

    Tue, Jul 19, 2016
    **Priyamvada Natarajan** discusses her new book, _Mapping the Heavens: The Radical Scientific Ideas That Reveal the Cosmos_, which describes the initial resistance to most of the major concepts of modern astronomy. In some cases, it was decades before radical ideas about the universe, such as black holes, dark matter, gravitational lensing were accepted. **Natarajan** also discusses her own cutting-edge research in these particular areas.
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  • New Paradigms for Conservation

    Tue, Jul 12, 2016
    **Dr. Kamal Bawa** is a world leader in ecology research and conservation and the impact of climate change on the Himalayan and Western Ghats regions. The impact of rapid warming on the rich but delicate ecology of the Himalaya region is coupled with environmental damage from development. In this discussion, Dr. Bawa explains what organizations like ATREE are doing to save the Himalayan environment and its native populations.
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  • Using Genetics to Trace Human History

    Fri, Jul 8, 2016
    **Dr. Nick Patterson** explains how the ancient populations of Europe are now being traced through DNA analysis of fossil remains, and why mathematical modeling – what he does — is essential in developing this reconstruction.
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  • The Push for Renewable Energy

    Tue, Jun 28, 2016
    In this discussion, **Philip Warburg** explains the important role of the public in making the shift to renewable energy, and describes his own experience in this regard. He also provides background on the various conflicts that accompany the energy change, and offers viable solutions to such problems.
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  • What Arctic Caves Reveal about Ancient Climate Cycles

    Tue, Jun 14, 2016
    **Jeremy Shakun** discusses how information about ancient climate cycles is preserved in stalactites and stalagmites (speleothems) in Arctic caves, and how scientists gather and analyze that very precise archive. He also explains other types of climate data, such as marine cores, Antarctic ice cores, glacial boulders, and tree rings.
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