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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/

  • Cracking the Neural Code for Speech

    Thu, Jan 26, 2012
    A Science for the Public visit to the Neural Prosthesis Lab of Frank Guenther at Boston University. Dr. Guenther, Co-Director Jon Brumberg, and other members explain the significance of their research on speech production processes and the great advances underway in making communication possible for people who are unable to speak: victims of stroke, ALS and locked-in syndrome, for example. Dr. Guenther and his colleagues demonstrate the now-famous Brain-Computer-Interface device. Additionally, the members of the lab discuss the importance of an interdisciplinary approach in this field.
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  • Beyond the Gene: Epigenetics Revealed

    Tue, Jun 12, 2012
    "Professor Mary Gehring discusses how an how epigenetics works. An organism's phenotypic traits are in large part hard-wired in the sequence of its DNA. Yet phenomena described more than 50 years ago indicated another layer of information exists on top of the genetic code: the epigenome. Chemical modifications to the proteins that package DNA or to the DNA itself can alter how the cell interprets the genetic code. This lecture will explore the contribution of epigenetics to growth and development, with a particular emphasis on plants, which have served as an important model system for understanding these processes. Dr. Gehring specializes in plant biology, and her research focus is epigenetic reprogramming in a plant that is especially well suited for investigation of epigenetic processes generally, Arabidopsis thaliana."
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  • The Advent of Personalized Genomic Medicine

    Thu, May 24, 2012
    Professor Quackenbush describes the great potential of today's genomic research: a much deeper understanding of the kind of information the genome contains, and the medical applications that will result from that knowledge. He brings the latest developments on personal genomes and personalized medicine from the frontlines of genomic research. New technologies inspired by the Human Genome Project are poised to make 'the $1000 genome' a reality. This has opened up new ways of studying human disease and has the potential to drive development of truly personalized genomic medicine. From micro-RNAs to epigenomic regulation, from single nucleotide polymorphisms to alternative splicing, we are discovering there is far more to our genomes than we imagined.
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  • The Grand Geometry of Nature

    Tue, Sep 11, 2012
    "Professors Tom Mrowka and Gigliola Staffilani explain how an understanding of Nature inevitably depends on mathematics. Forces, processes, patterns 'they are all expressed in the unique and universal language of mathematics, and particularly in geometry. These mathematicians decode for a general public the deep aesthetics of these structures, and they explain how mathematics reveals the core of Nature. No need to fear math 'it is a whole new way to experience reality. Tom Mrowka, Professor of Mathematics Gigliola Staffilani,Professor of Mathematics, (both) Massachusetts Institute of Technology"
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  • Medicating ADHD: Diagnosis and the Long-Term Effects of the Medications

    Wed, Mar 20, 2013
    Whitaker's work has alerted both the medical community and the general public to the serious dangers of psychotropic medicines when used for extended periods. He has become a standard reference for the facts. Two of Robert Whitaker's books on this subject are among the most cited in the literature: Mad in America (2002) and Anatomy of an Epidemic (2010). He has received numerous awards, including a George Polk Award for medical writing and a National Association of Science Writers Award for best magazine article. He was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in 1998. Robert Whitaker is a prominent medical writer, whose concentration is on psychiatric care and psychotropic drugs. In this presentation he provides important information about how ADHD 'now an 'epidemic'' is diagnosed and why users of medications for ADHD should be cautious. Recent news stories about the hazards of long-term ADHD medications and the more general use of these drugs to enhance concentration underscore the importance of Whitaker's discussion.
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  • The D-Lab at MIT: The People's Engineering Team

    Wed, May 29, 2013
    "Amy Smith, Founder and Director of the famous and award-winning D-Lab at MIT ('Design-Develop-Disseminate') discusses the D-Lab's unique innovative approach to improving life in the world's poorest nations. Collaborations of D-Lab engineering students and villagers in developing nations create effective tools and equipment to improve lives. The D-Lab collaborations demonstrate that the capability for innovation exists even in impoverished communities with very limited resources, and that people everywhere can learn to improve their lives significantly. The D-Lab is an outstanding humanitarian project and a very effective one. One objective is to help communities in developing nations to create engineering solutions for specific needs in health care (including prostheses), water purification, grain processing, and other concerns, using mostly the materials at hand. The D-Lab provides workshops to get people started, and soon villagers themselves develop equipment and even start businesses. The second objective of D-Lab is to engage MIT engineering students in the design-development-dissemination process. The D-Lab courses are so popular that students are accepted only by lottery. Engineering students and ordinary people collaborate on simple, elegant and inexpensive equipment that meets specific local needs around the world. D-Lab is a whole new way of learning for everyone involved."
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  • Public Acceptance of Wind Energy in Massachusetts: Factors, Implications

    Tue, May 14, 2013
    Dr. Maria Petrova considers the numerous factors that shape public attitudes toward wind energy, including economic, aesthetic and environmental concerns. She explains differences of perception and experience in Falmouth, Hull and Kingston and how such views impact policy. Dr. Petrova received her PhD in Environmental Science from Oregon State University in 2010. Her research in Oregon focused on public acceptability of wave energy technology, a major renewable energy form there. She has emphasized the importance of public opinion in the shaping renewable energy policies. Dr. Petrova also does comparative research on renewable energy policies in the US and the EU. She won first place at the International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE) in Spain in 2010.
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  • Infant Fossil Teeth: Clues to Ancient Human Development

    Fri, Dec 13, 2013
    Your dentist knows a lot about your diet and your habits just by examining your teeth. Evolutionary scientists value teeth too, but their interest lies in the potential of fossil teeth as biomarkers, a record of species development. Infant teeth are especially important because they provide a clear record of weaning patterns, and weaning patterns are important indicators of species development. **Professor Tanya Smith** analyzed infant fossil teeth to reconstruct the weaning patterns of Neanderthal and early humans. In this video, _Science for the Public_ visits Dr. Smith's lab to learn what makes fossil teeth great evolutionary biomarkers. We examine some ancient teeth and record a demonstration of the advanced technology that makes an accurate analysis of ancient teeth possible. Dr. Smith also explains the significance of this type of research.
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  • Journey to the Center of the Earth

    Tue, Nov 5, 2013
    "When Jules Verne published his classic Journey to the Center of the Earth in 1864, practically nothing was known about the Earth's interior. By this time, Charles Darwin had published On the Origin of Species, weather maps had become available, and Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic waves were used. In contrast, views of the Earth's interior did not emerge until well into the 20th century. How did the Earth, which seems so accessible to humans, remain a mystery for such a long time? In this presentation, Professor Ishii discusses challenges and techniques for studying the deep interior, and takes the audience on a modern journey to the center of the Earth. Miaki Ishii, PhD, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, and member of the Harvard Seismology Group."
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  • How TB Bacteria Evade Treatment

    Tue, Dec 10, 2013
    "Tuberculosis is one of the deadliest diseases in our crowded world, and by far one of the hardest diseases to conquer because TB bacteria are exceptionally clever at outwitting the antibiotics designed to arrest the disease. Professor Bree Aldridge has pioneered research that illuminates the mechanisms used by mycobacteria (TB) to evade medication. Scientists are now beginning to understand that identical cells are like identical twins: although genetically identical, individual cells can have surprisingly different characteristics. The Aldridge Lab studies the bacteria that cause tuberculosis. These cells vary in their response to antibiotic therapy, even in controlled laboratory conditions. The Aldridge team uses live-cell imaging and mathematical modeling to understand how TB cells differ from one another and how individual distinctions affect the response to antibiotics. In doing so, Dr. Aldridge and her group address a major obstacle in controlling tuberculosis, which is the lengthy multi-drug therapy currently required to effectively cure the disease. By understanding how some bacteria behave differently, they hope to identify more effective treatments. Bree Aldridge, PhD, Bree Aldridge, PhD, Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology at Tufts University School of Medicine; member of the Molecular Microbiology and Immunology program faculties at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Tufts School of Engineering."
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