Past Events

Most children in the world are not healthy, and many –especially in impoverished nations – are vulnerable to serious illnesses. Dr. Hamer explains why the World Health Organization is the indispensable lifeline for children around the world, and why the U.S. has an obligation to participate with other nations in the work of the W.H.O. (Photo: [Flickr/Eric Bridiers](https://www.flickr.com/photos/us-mission/6946430257/in/photolist-9J42FX-bzQgGV-2iPVeMi-p1nFPc-2iPQRiz-bzQgLD-bmVrgQ-RUuDDK-bBSFFy-2fzoxwS-cPJT3w-cPJSEm-2iPQQAN-eFmzvF-2iQqbXn-2fLTTTE-nmDuL2-drUZxa-y4QdhM-nM2D4K-9Ji7mk-28VN4Rj-26dMzVE-23zvEU2-G9ivXe-8GtQBZ-2gahZVs-8GZzEj-8DNtUd-8GtNWR-8ET3eb-8ESVQE-8DNuSJ-8zHSDt-7yuQFL-8ET6e1-787EzG-V2jPWk-6JEhr3-24SWwZ1-6JEhr7-W6DRZ-nmdwsG-2jtGv8M-nCqdTV-2jD8Nsy-2ikCD8D-2iPVfrK-5XofFi-2iAXPfv/) , image cropped)

Dr. Cziczo explains the difference between millions of years of natural warming cycles and the more recent anthropogenic warming caused by the production of more CO2. He discusses the implications of atmospheric CO2 buildup and the limitations of geoengineering and sequestration as solutions to this problem. Image: [Belmont Media Center](http://scienceforthepublic.org/earth/atmospheric-tipping-points)

Dr. Martini explains how astronomers now calculate the expansion of the universe and why the expansion is accelerating. He is the Instrument Scientist for one of the most advanced astronomical surveys of the century: the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). The DESI This highly anticipated project launches unique technology and its massive data is expected to produce the foundation of a “new physics.” Image: [Belmont Media Center](http://scienceforthepublic.org/cosmos/explaining-and-measuring-the-expanding-universe)

Scared by a local lynching and mandatory prison time for violating Indiana’s anti-miscegenation laws in 1943, E. Dolores Johnson's black father and white mother fled Indianapolis and secretly married in Buffalo, then hid from authorities and her family for thirty-six years. She simply vanished, evading FBI and police searches that ended by declaring her the victim of foul play, either dead or kidnapped by white slavers. She talks about her family history and her new memoir in this public event co-hosted by the Boston Public Library and American Ancestors/NEHGS in partnership with the Museum of African American History and the State Library of Massachusetts. Image: Book Cover

Susan Eisenhower joins Boston Public Library President David Leonard, along with Margaret Talcott of American Ancestors NEHGS, to discuss a new book about President Dwight D. Eisenhower and his leadership. From D-Day to Little Rock, from the Korean War to Cold War crises, from the Red Scare to the Missile Gap controversies, few people have made decisions as momentous and varied as President Eisenhower. His granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, sheds light on his principles and decision making in her new book, "How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Eisenhower's Biggest Decisions.” This conversation is presented in partnership between the Boston Public Library's Arc of History: Contested Perspectives series and the American Inspiration author series hosted by the American Ancestors/New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS).

Will COVID change everything? Will it change how we work, educate, govern, and play? Political strategist Roger Fisk leads a discussion with climate change expert Mark Boyer, economist Daron Acemoglu, human rights advocate Shareen Hertel, and pollster David Paleologos to explore what may come next as the pandemic progresses. In addition to considering the future of climate, politics, economics, social justice, and popular mobilization, they examine who may emerge from this massive inflection point as winners or losers. Finally, they explore the concept of crisis as an opportunity to fundamentally re-imagine and address some of the massive issues we face as a community, a nation, and a global society. This Suffolk University lecture series, presented with the Ford Hall Forum and WGBH Forum Network, is designed as a broad examination of the themes of interest to political scientists and public policy experts. The series is part of a novel online course offered to incoming Suffolk students and made available to the public. **Follow the course: Week 9 Assignment** Listen: [How green will Europe’s economic revival be?](https://politico.us8.list-manage.com/track/click?u=e26c1a1c392386a968d02fdbc&id=8c52b433e4&e=e5164aaaf4) Pascal Canfin, the chair of the European Parliament’s environment committee, outlines what MEPs want to see from the EU’s recovery plan. Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron outlined their vision for that plan this week but how does the Parliament think the money should be raised and spent, particularly to help the EU meet its climate goals? [Imagining the New 9-5](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/imagining-the-new-9-5-teresa-ghilarducci/id1200758267?i=1000475066778) **Read:** Michael Osterholm, Mark Olshaker. “Chronicle of a Pandemic Foretold: Learning from the Covid-19 Failure – Before the Next Outbreak Arrives.” Foreign Affairs. 5/21/2020. ([PDF](https://cpb-us-e1.wpmucdn.com/sites.suffolk.edu/dist/9/1764/files/2020/06/Coronavirus_-Chronicle-of-a-Pandemic-Foretold.pdf)) The RAND Blog: [Relaxing COVID-19 Restrictions Presents Stark Health and Economic Choices](https://www.rand.org/blog/2020/05/relaxing-covid-19-restrictions-presents-stark-health.html) Project Syndicate: [How to Reset the US Pandemic Response](https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/deep-roots-of-disastrous-us-covid19-response-by-roman-frydman-and-gernot-wagner-2020-05?barrier=accesspaylog) Project Syndicate: [Time for a Great Reset](https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/great-reset-capitalism-covid19-crisis-by-klaus-schwab-2020-06?barrier=accesspaylog) Project Syndicate: [The Post-COVID State](https://www.project-syndicate.org/onpoint/four-possible-trajectories-after-covid19-daron-acemoglu-2020-06?utm_source=Project%20Syndicate%20Newsletter&utm_campaign=26aa4844a0-sunday_newsletter_07_06_2020&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_73bad5b7d8-26aa4844a0-93732177&mc_cid=26aa4844a0&mc_eid=644f0cb942&barrier=accesspaylog ) **Civic Engagement Activity & Reflection** Engage in at least one civic / political event of your choice during the course and document this with a short reflection essay. Try a virtual town or city hall meeting with local or state representatives, a meeting of an activist group, etc. The reflection should draw on readings from assignments and your own additional research. Members of the public who wish to share their reflections should post a link on Twitter and tag [@GBHForumNetwork ](https://twitter.com/GBHForumNetwork) and [@supolscilegal](https://twitter.com/supolscilegal).

Throughout election cycles poll results appear to move up and down rapidly. They can often be confusing, especially when the methodology is unclear. How can we better read and understand political polls? A panel of experts sits down with WGBH News Digital Editor Laura Colarusso to examine how these numbers are determined, in what ways campaigns react to polls, how journalists interpret the numbers and why we put so much stock in polling during elections. Guest speakers are Gary Langer, founder of Langer Research Associates and former director of polling at ABC News; Wilnelia Rivera, president at Rivera Consulting, Inc. and lead on Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's 2016 campaign; and James Pindell, political reporter at The Boston Globe.

Our natural systems are under great stress. However, nature’s inclination is toward healing, and we can work with the logic of ecology to restore landscapes and waterways. Biodiversity for a Livable Climate hosts authors Judith D. Schwartz and Ben Goldfarb as they talk about regenerating landscapes—and the pivotal role of animals in earth healing. Judith’s new book, “The Reindeer Chronicles and Other Inspiring Stories of Working With Nature to Heal the Earth”, is published by [Chelsea Green](https://www.chelseagreen.com/?s=reindeer). This talk is part of the Life Saves the Planet lecture series. More info: https://bio4climate.org/

Divides – economic, racial, cultural, and educational, to name just a few – exist between communities across the country. But the perceived divide between rural and urban areas has been a lightening rod for our national conversation over the past several years. Setti Warren, in conversation with two journalists working at both ends of this spectrum; a Harvard economist who studies regional economic divides; and author and Senior Fellow at the Shorenstein Center, Tara Westover will dig into what is real about the divide between rural and urban America, and where we actually find more commonalities than differences across these communities. Image credit: [Pexels](http://https://www.pexels.com/photo/asphalt-junction-near-greenery-on-city-street-4030655/)

The idea that a pandemic would threaten our national security has been a known threat for many years. The only questions were when, in what form, how bad and how do we prepare? As we cope with the ravages of the COVID-19 outbreak, new questions emerge: Will the world after COVID be more or less dangerous? Will the U.S. role in the world be more important, or less? How can we best protect the integrity and safety of our elections during this crisis and, by extension, the integrity of our democracy? How do we best protect the most vulnerable among us? There is work to do if we are to retain readiness to deal with other crises and prevent economic insecurity from fueling destabilization, desperation and disruption. Our discussion this week examines how the pandemic is changing the landscape of National Security. This Suffolk University lecture series, presented with the Ford Hall Forum and WGBH Forum Network, is designed as a broad examination of the themes of interest to political scientists and public policy experts. The series is part of a novel online course offered to incoming Suffolk students and made available to the public. Follow Along with the Suffolk University Survey Course: **Listening assignment** [A Crisis Inside the Navy](http://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?i=1000470867859) from The Daily on Apple Podcasts **Reading assignments** * 2019 World Wide Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. [PDF](http://sites.suffolk.edu/pandemicpolitics/files/2020/06/2019-Worldwide-Threat-Assessment-SSCI.pdf) * Lisa Monaco “Pandemic Disease is a Threat to National Security: Washington Should Treat it Like One.” Foreign Affairs 3/3/2020 [PDF](http://sites.suffolk.edu/pandemicpolitics/files/2020/06/Pandemic-Disease-Is-a-Threat-to-National-Security-_-Foreign-Affairs.pdf) * Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. “Finding a Vaccine is only the First Step: No One Will be Safe Until the Whole World is Safe.” Foreign Affairs. 4/30/2020 [PDF](http://sites.suffolk.edu/pandemicpolitics/files/2020/06/Finding-a-Vaccine-Is-Only-the-First-Step-_-Foreign-Affairs.pdf) **Video assignment** [Condoleezza Rice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UxzAlX92PI&t=5s): Covid-19 & National Security