Past Events

Joseph R. Biden Jr. becomes the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021. The guy who wrote the book on U.S. inaugurations, Jim Bendat, talks about exactly how unconventional this convention will be and some of his insights might surprise you! Then, presidential and congressional scholars Julia Azari and Elaine Kamarck talk with Joe Mathieu, anchor and executive editor of GBH's Morning Edition, about the policy priorities, challenges and opportunities on the horizon for the Biden Administration. This event launches a new spring series, Examining the First 100 Days of the Biden Administration, that focuses on the most important developments in the early days of the Biden Administration. Presented by the Suffolk University Department of Political Science & Legal Studies, in collaboration with the Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University and hosted by GBH’s Forum Network. Image: Gina Janovitz Design ### Resources See Jim Bandat’s book on the details of U.S. inaugurations, [here.](https://www.inaugurationbook.com/) Watch Elaine’s book talk: [Why Presidents Fail and How They Can Succeed Again.](https://forum-network.org/lectures/elaine-c-kamarck-why-presidents-fail-and-how-they-can-succeed-again/) Learn more from Julia in our talk, [Partisanship vs. Pandemic: Common Enemy; Disjointed Response.](https://forum-network.org/lectures/partisanship-v-pandemic-common-enemy-disjointed-response/) Review these [five myths about presidential inaugurations](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-presidential-inaugurations/2017/01/13/77f5416c-d84c-11e6-9f9f-5cdb4b7f8dd7_story.html).

Dig a little deeper into the Electoral College with GBH Curiosity Desk’s Edgar B. Herwick III. Hear from Massachusetts elector Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and get a historical perspective of the Electoral College system and how it works from UMASS political science professor Amel Ahmed. Image: Pexels.com

_Apollo's Arrow_ offers a riveting account of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as it swept through American society in 2020, and of how the recovery will unfold in the coming years. Drawing on momentous (yet dimly remembered) historical epidemics, contemporary analyses, and cutting-edge research from a range of scientific disciplines, bestselling author, physician, sociologist, and public health expert Nicholas A. Christakis explores what it means to live in a time of plague — an experience that is paradoxically uncommon to the vast majority of humans who are alive, yet deeply fundamental to our species. Unleashing new divisions in our society as well as opportunities for cooperation, this 21st-century pandemic has upended our lives in ways that will test, but not vanquish, our already frayed collective culture. Featuring new, provocative arguments and vivid examples ranging across medicine, history, sociology, epidemiology, data science, and genetics, _Apollo's Arrow_ envisions what happens when the great force of a deadly germ meets the enduring reality of our evolved social nature. Image: Book Cover

Dr. Cameron is a marine ecologist and carbonate chemist who studies the impacts of ocean acidification and warming on marine bivalves and their fisheries. In this discussion Dr Cameron explains the cause of ocean acidification, the harm to ocean life, and especially to shellfish. She also describes what can and must be done to address ocean acidification. Image: Belmont Media Center

Author and philosopher, Roman Krznaric, who writes about the power of ideas to change society in his new book, _The Good Ancestor_, shares his view that it's time to trade in shortsightedness for long-term thinking. Krznaric outlines practical ways we can retrain our brains to think of the long view, including what he calls “Deep-Time Humility” (recognizing our lives as a cosmic eyeblink) and “Cathedral Thinking” (starting projects that will take more than one lifetime to complete). He aims to widen our focus, to inspire more “time rebels” like Greta Thunberg—to shift our allegiance from this generation to all humanity—in short, to save our planet, and our future. Image: Book Cover

Dr. Diaz Artiles describes how space life in zero gravity affects the human body and how space engineers are taking on the challenge. Her field of bioastronautics develops engineering innovations like artificial gravity, specialized spacesuits, and physical analyses of the effects of space environment on the human body. As we move toward colonization of space, this is the science to watch! Image: Belmont Media Center

If we are born to walk and run, why do most of us take it easy whenever possible? And how do we make sense of all the conflicting, confusing, anxiety-provoking information about rest, physical activity and exercise? Professor Daniel Lieberman, Human Evolutionary Biologist at Harvard University has written a new book entitled _Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do Is Healthy and Rewarding._ Listen to this conversation exploring the role of exercise in our lives. Image: book cover

As we move past the contentious 2020 election, one particular question has surfaced once again this election cycle: Is the way we elect the President in this country still working? The electoral college – our nation’s complicated method of electing presidents -- has been under fire since its inception more than 200 years ago. The system allows one candidate to win the popular vote but another to win the electoral vote and thus the Presidency. Four candidates in U.S. history have won the popular vote but not the Presidency as they did not secure enough votes in the Electoral College. Join us for a closer look at the roles race, politics, and geography have played in the electoral college and explore if reform is needed or not. Panelists representing varying perspectives on voting and the electoral college include Amel Ahmed, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Erin Geiger Smith, journalist and author of the book “Thank you for Voting.” Jesse Wegman, a member of the New York Times editorial board, will moderate the discussion. Presented by JCC Greater Boston as the latest in their Jonathan Samen Hot Buttons, Cool Conversations discussion series and co-produced with GBH Forum Network .

Dr. O’Dwyer says that “ecological systems are the archetypal complex systems.” He describes how these systems, regardless of scale, and despite their diversity, share underlying signatures and patterns. How the components of ecosystems interact and adapt to their environments is a matter of intense study today when so many species are under threat by environmental and climate changes. Image: Belmont Media Center

The Philippines has had a special relationship with the United States since the islands were ceded by Spain to the United States after the Spanish-American War at the end of the 19th century. However, since the election of Rodrigo Duterte, the country has pivoted more toward China, and away from the U.S. Duterte has also launched a large-scale war on drugs that many criticize for its brutality. What does the future hold for U.S, relations with the Philippines? Image: WorldBoston