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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/

  • Reading the Clouds to Understand Climate Change

    Tue, Oct 22, 2013
    Professor Cziczo discusses the science of clouds, particularly the cirrus clouds found at very high altitudes. He explains how particles (aerosols) in the atmosphere trigger cloud formation and what the presence of particular aerosols recently discovered suggest for a better understanding of climate change. This video includes footage from the Cziczo Lab in which Dr. Cziczo demonstrates how aerosols trigger cloud formation, and researchers in the lab explain how particles are collected and analyzed. Daniel Cziczo, PhD is the Victor P. Starr Career Development Associate Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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  • Clive Hamilton Talks about the Geoengineering Issue

    Mon, Oct 28, 2013
    "Clive Hamilton, PhD is is Vice-Chancellor's Chair and Professor of Public Ethics at the Center for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE), Charles Sturt University in Australia. He was the Founder and for 14 years the Executive Director of The Australia Institute, Australia's leading progressive think tank, which is a joint center of Charles Sturt University and the University of Melbourne. Dr. Hamilton has held a number of visiting academic positions, including the University of Cambridge, Yale University and the University of Oxford. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and in June 2009 was made a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to public debate and public policy. In 2012 he was appointed by the Federal Government to the Climate Change Authority. Clive Hamilton is the author of a number of best-selling books, the most recent of which is Earthmasters: The Dawn of the Age of Climate Engineering (2013)."
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  • Joan Najita: Formation of Planetary Systems

    Tue, Mar 11, 2014
    How do solar systems get started? Modern astronomers are still working to figure this out, and there is nothing they like better than a big challenge like this one. Dr. Najita, who is a prominent researcher in this field, discusses why planetary system formation is such a big question. She describes how astronomers investigate the formation of stars, their disks and their planetary systems. And she considers what astronomers are certain about today and why there are still many puzzles.
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  • Max Tegmark: Mathematics and the Multiverse

    Tue, May 20, 2014
    Max Tegmark has a proud reputation as an unconventional thinker. In this presentation, Professor Tegmark talks about his famous concept of the multiverse and his view that reality is a mathematical entity. And he makes this material very interesting and accessible to a wide audience --no expertise required.
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    Conflicting Science on the Safety of Genetically Modified Food

    Thu, Jun 12, 2014
    Rarely has there been a time when food has divided society into two major warring camps. But that is the situation regarding genetically modified food (aka genetically modified organisms or GMOs). One camp proclaims that genetically modified crops represent the future of food. The other camp believes it is a corporate conspiracy that will contaminate and endanger the world's food supply. Can science bring us closer to the truth about GMOs?
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  • Harnessing the Bioelectric Potential of Cells for Regeneration

    Tue, Feb 21, 2012
    Professor Michael Levin and his colleagues at the Tufts Center for Regeneration and Developmental Biology, Tufts University, have demonstrated that manipulation of voltage gradients in embryonic cells can alter physical structure. For example, such manipulation can produce functional eyes in odd places like the tadpole gut and regenerate tissue where that capacity is thought to be lost. The Levin Lab investigates how cells store and process the information and patterns that produce a complex 3-dimensional organism. A central feature of that research involves the study of the broad potential of voltage gradients in cells. Progress in these areas suggests a range of potential benefits for medicine, including the possibility of regenerating organs, limbs and tissues, and curing numerous diseases such as cancer.
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  • Solar Energy the Third Way

    Tue, Feb 14, 2012
    Professor Gang Chen compares the two current methods of generating electricity from sunlight with solar thermoelectric generators (STEGs). Chen and his colleagues have developed widely acclaimed innovations in materials and design that make STEGs much more efficient and economical. This lecture is an excellent overview of the design, efficiency, and cost of different ways of producing solar energy.
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  • 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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  • 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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  • 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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