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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/

  • Renaissance Roots of Modern Science

    Tue, Mar 6, 2012
    Toby Lester, author of widely acclaimed books on two of the great achievements during the Renaissance, visits with *Science for the Public* to discuss important discoveries, and rediscoveries, that brought about the first map to show America (*The Fourth Part of the World *(2009), and Da Vinci's iconic Vitruvian Man (*Da Vinci's Ghost*) (2012). Both of these accomplishments reflected an intellectual shift over centuries that led to modern science.
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  • The Core of the Moon

    Wed, May 9, 2012
    "A key unknown in lunar science is to what extent the Moon is layered like the Earth, or an unmelted relic of the early solar system like many asteroids. In particular, did the Moon form a metallic core and an ancient magnetic field? The answer will shed light on the origin and evolution of the Moon as well as other small bodies throughout the solar system. Professor Weiss explains how a new era of intensive lunar investigation is settling the debate about the Moon's evolution, and why this information is crucial to our understanding of the formation of the solar system. The very recent research has synthesized new results from spacecraft observations and studies of lunar rocks returned by the Apollo missions. Professor Benjamin Weiss conducts laboratory magnetic studies on rocks from Mars, the Moon, and Earth to understand the evolution of planets, magnetism, and life. He uses SQUID microscopy, a new technique several orders of magnitude more sensitive than standard SQUID moment magnetometry that makes high-resolution magnetic maps of room temperature samples."
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  • Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living

    Thu, Jun 28, 2012
    Jeff Deyette, co-author of Cooler Smarter: Practical Steps for Low-Carbon Living , the recent book from Union of Concerned Scientists, describes how individuals can reduce their energy consumption and carbon footprints by at least 20 percent -and achieve a healthier lifestyle in the process. It is encouraging to know that commitments by individuals and communities can make a significant contribution toward reducing global warming. Mr. Deyette also gives an update on the unmistakable human factor in climate change and an overview of the progress of alternative energy innovations.
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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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  • Long-Term Health Threats of BPA and Other Endocrine Disruptors

    Tue, Aug 21, 2012
    "BPA and other endocrine disruptors are used in plastics, can linings, and other products. These chemicals, which are now widespread in the environment, are implicated in cancer, reproduction problems, childhood obesity, and autism. Drs. Ana Soto and Carlos Sonnenschein are leading researchers in this field. They explain how endocrine disruptors affect living organisms over multiple generations and why the impact is so broad. And they discuss the urgent need to control the use of such chemicals. Ana Soto, M.D. Professor of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, School of Medicine, Tufts University Carlos Sonnenschein, M.D. Professor of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, School of Medicine, Tufts University "
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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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  • Accelerated Climate Change: Can Nature Adapt?

    Tue, Oct 9, 2012
    "A leading authority on conservation issues, especially flora and fauna adaptations to rapid climate change, Professor Primack brings a truly global perspective to Nature's rapid response mechanisms. He discusses changes in the Massachusetts habitat that Henry David Thoreau made famous, and describes the limitations of plants and animals to adapt to this era of intense current climate stress. Richard B. Primack is a Professor in the Biology Department at Boston University. He received his B.A. at Harvard University in 1972 and his Ph.D. at Duke University in 1976, and then was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Canterbury. He has served as a visiting professor at the University of Hong Kong and Tokyo University, and has been awarded Bullard and Putnam Fellowships from Harvard University and a Guggenheim Fellowship. Dr. Primack was President of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the journal Biological Conservation. Twenty-seven foreign-language editions of his textbooks have been produced, with local coauthors adding in local examples. He is an author of rain forest books, most recently Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison, Second Edition (with Richard Corlett). Dr. Primack's research interests include: the biological impacts of climate change; the loss of species in protected areas; tropical forest ecology and conservation; and conservation education. He is currently writing a popular book about changes in Concord since the time of Henry David Thoreau and Walden."
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  • Two Paul Steinhardt Projects: The "Cyclic Universe" and "Quasicrystals"

    Tue, Apr 30, 2013
    "One of the greatest theoretical physicists of our time, Paul Steinhardt is extraordinary in terms of his range and depth. In this program he discusses two of his best known research projects: first, the theory of a cyclic universe; and second, his prediction and later actual discovery of an entity thought not to occur naturally, the quasicrystal. Both of these projects are changing our view of Nature. Paul Steinhardt, Ph.D., The Albert Einstein Professor in Science at Princeton University, and Director of the Princeton Center for Theoretical Science. Professor Steinhardt is a faculty member of both the Department of Physics and Department of Astrophysical Sciences at Princeton."
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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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