Past Events

Political scientist Danielle Allen turns her attention to the U.S. justice system, looking closely at the predicament of young, black men behind bars. Allen's interest in this enormous, uniquely American problem is personal. Her cousin Michael died at the age of 29 after being caught up in a cycle of violence on Los Angeles streets and in the U.S. prison system. She shares some of her family tragedy and Michael's writings with the audience and asks us to consider what could have been done differently for him and for the hundreds of men like him that can still be helped?

In the era of fake news and alternative facts, science communication is in a more precarious position than ever before. What is causing the communication gap between scientists and the general public? [_Science in the News_](http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/ "") Co-Director Katie Wu discusses how to effectively and accurately convey scientific progress to all audiences and avoid obscurity within the black hole of Internet click bait. Learn the different ways in which scientists can better engage their audiences, the ups and downs of communicating across professions, and how everyone can each sleuth their way to scientific discovery. Photo: U.S. Army — Jason Soares, a chemical engineer at the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC).

In 1917, New York State women won the right to vote, an event that would help bring on passage of a federal woman’s suffrage amendment in 1920. As the United States prepares to celebrate this centennial, Ashley Hopkins-Benton, Senior Historian and Curator of Social History New York State Museum in Albany, NY, will show how her museum has been exploring artifacts of the fight for women’s rights in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, while simultaneously collecting materials from the Women’s March, and other 2017 protests.

Universities that foster reasoned and thoughtful debate are vital to a thriving society. Since the passage of the Bill of Rights, Americans have enjoyed the right to free expression. Many forms of offensive speech are protected by the First Amendment, while obscenity and certain types of violent expression are not. Pressure to snuff out free speech is increasing. From Middlebury College to UC Berkeley, protests have erupted into violence, turning the “marketplace of ideas” into a danger area for freedom of expression. How can universities strike a balance between free expression and the need for campus peace and safety? What, if any, restrictions should be placed on student expression at a private institution?

Extreme weather events have wrought havoc across New England and the nation over the last decade or longer. Record-breaking events will always occur, but the time between these events should increase. As climate change occurs, records are getting broken in record time! There are three truths that climate science tells us about what we can expect from climate change: * Small changes in an average value have bigger effects * Our carbon dioxide emissions has embedded a certain amount of change into the climate system * If we don’t account for our changing climate, our plans and designs will be wrong. In this presentation, Dr. Ellen Marie Douglas discusses observations of our changing climate, what changes may be in Boston’s future and some plans for how to adapt to these changes. Photo: NOAA Satellites (Hurricane Harvey on August 26, 2017) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The excess CO2 in our atmosphere will affect Earth's climate for centuries to come, and we need to understand why. Professor Cziczo is an atmospheric scientist who is an expert on the crucial role of clouds in the dynamics of climate. He explains the vital relationship between clouds and climate, and the present options for reducing atmospheric CO2. Photo: [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Main_Page "")

Dr. Galea discusses his new book _Healthier: Fifty Thoughts on the Foundation of Population Health_ and his work in public health. Galea is known for his emphasis on the connections between social environment and population health. Thumbnail:[ MarylandGovPics/Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdgovpics/7315143938 "")

New York Streets, the West End, Villa Victoria, Tent City, Stop the Highway: “Progress” vs. Community Control in Boston’s Neighborhoods Many of the national trends, public and governmental policies, and institutional practices that have shaped Boston’s physical geographies have roots in structural racism – a network of factors that perpetuate racial inequality and result in intergenerational wealth gaps, and highly segregated neighborhoods. Restrictive community covenants, redlining, urban renewal, divestment, and the placement of highways and mass transit have influenced where Bostonians live, and largely determine access to Boston’s amenities. However, Bostonians are resilient – communities’ acts of network building, activism, and resistance to imposed development in favor of neighborhood control have also shaped the geography of the City in a significant way. Giordana Mecagni, Head of Special Collections and University Archivist at Northeastern University will illustrate the effect of community protest on Boston’s geography, as seen through examples collected by Boston’s many archival collections, including Northeastern University’s Archives and Special Collections.

Author Salman Rushdie discusses his latest novel,_ The Golden House_. Rushdie is joined in conversation by Homi K. Bhabha, Director of the [Mahindra Humanities Center](http://mahindrahumanities.fas.harvard.edu/ "website") at Harvard University. **About the Book** On the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, an enigmatic billionaire from foreign shores takes up residence in the architectural jewel of “the Gardens,” a cloistered community in New York’s Greenwich Village. The neighborhood is a bubble within a bubble, and the residents are immediately intrigued by the eccentric newcomer and his family. [—Penguin Random House](http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/558138/the-golden-house-by-salman-rushdie/9780399592805/ "") Thumbnail Image: [Spencer Means/Flickr](https://www.flickr.com/photos/hunky_punk/23139048910 "")

What’s really happening behind closed doors on America’s college campuses? A new sexual revolution is sweeping the country, and college students are on the front lines. Women use fresh, savvy methods to fight entrenched sexism and sexual assault even as they celebrate their own sexuality as never before. Many "woke" male students are more sensitive to women’s concerns than previous generations ever were, while other men can still perpetuate misogyny. Meanwhile, the new Secretary of Education appointed by President Trump intends to eliminate college court hearings of rape. Amid all the contradictions, it’s no surprise that intense confusion shrouds the topic of consent on campus. Vanessa Grigoriadis dispels that confusion as no other writer could by talking candidly with dozens of students—among them, both accusers and accused—as well as administrators, parents, and researchers. Her unprecedented investigation presents a host of new truths. Photo: SchuminWeb in [Slutwalk FlickrRiver](http://www.flickriver.com/groups/1830007@N22/pool/random/ "")