Past Events

What is graffiti – is it vandalism, ornament or art? Anthropologist, Rafael Schacter proposes that we think of it as a monument – and it is indeed an ancient phenomenon. Originally thought to have come from the Italian archaeological term Graffito, meaning a deliberate mark made by scratching or engraving on a large surface such as a wall - nobody really knows. While the Ancient Greeks and Egyptians may have first coined the term, the definition and origins of modern-day graffiti continue to be debated, and Cambridge Forum is delighted to continue the discussion.

Schacter’s newest tome, Monumental Graffiti is a hefty and heavily researched read. In it, he shows why graffiti demands our urgent attention as a form of expression that challenges power structures by questioning whose voices are included in, or excluded from, the public space.

Schacter is joined by Cambridge graffiti artist, Caleb Neelon, co-author of The History of American Graffiti.

“We are over-protecting children in the real world while under-protecting them online” says Jonathan Haidt, author of THE ANXIOUS GENERATION who maintains that the environment in which kids grow up today is hostile to human development. Haidt traces the current mental health crisis to the mid-2010s when smartphones and social media began to reshape the social landscape for adolescents. Cambridge Forum explores these troubling developments in The Anxious i-Generation.

Furthermore, Haidt argues that smartphone technologies have led to over-parenting e.g. constant notifications and GPS tracking of children’s whereabouts. This in turn, has robbed an entire generation of the resilience, coping skills and independence needed to navigate everyday situations and in turn, created unprecedented levels of societal anxiety. The dramatic decline in mental health in teens has been accompanied by decreases in academic scores for math, reading and science. CF asks what happens when we take phones out of schools and replace screen time with normal extracurricular activities that encourage independence and healthy risk-taking? Well, some forward-thinking teachers and psychologists have been doing exactly that with very promising results.

Our panel consists of Catherine Price, science journalist, founder of Screen/Life Balance and author of How to break up with your phone; Camilo Otiz, Associate Professor of Psychology at Long Island University and licensed psychologist in private practice; Lenore Skenazy, president of the nonprofit, Let Grow and author of Free Range Kids plus Shane Voss, Head of Mountain Middle School in Durango, CO. where he has created a phone-free school environment since 2013.

A rapidly changing Arctic is reshaping everything. Polar bears navigate shrinking expanses of sea ice, thawing permafrost threatens coastal villages, destabilizes infrastructure, and exhales methane, and warming temperatures push more species northward into a greener arctic. These transformations are profound, and their impacts can extend far beyond the region’s ecologies that depend on them.

What do these changes mean for wildlife, humans, and the climate? How is all of this going to play out in different regions and ecosystems around the world? Does understanding these changes and seeing them with your own eyes change the way you see everything else?

Join Biodiversity for a Livable Climate for a conversation that convenes story and science, writer and researcher to help shape our understanding of what this means for the Arctic, our climate and the webs of life that depend on both. Jon Waterman, writer for both Patagonia and NatGeo, and author of Into the Thaw, is by Dr. Flavio Lehner, Chief Climate Scientist at Polar Bears International—one a storyteller of the Arctic’s systems, the other a researcher of them.

Ford Hall Forum at Suffolk University welcomes author Miles Borrero, upon the publication of his new book Beautiful Monster: A Becoming. The afternoon’s moderator is Pascale Florestal, director, dramaturge, and education director and associate producer of The Front Porch Arts Collective.

Nearing the age of forty, with an entire life already lived as a woman—half in Colombia, half in the US—Miles Borrero comes face to face with his father’s impending death. Suddenly realizing that he has been stalling his transition for fear of losing his family’s love, this moment catalyzes Miles’s determination to be fully known as his father’s son before it is too late.

In Beautiful Monster, Miles chronicles his unusual childhood, by turns riveting and hilarious, in ’80s and ’90s Colombia during the Pablo Escobar years, as well as his move to Salt Lake City to pursue acting and the winding trajectory that eventually lands him in the New York City yoga scene. Within these very different cultures, the realities of being queer and trans echo poignantly through the triumphs, heartbreaks, family dynamics, spiritual pursuits, and relationships that propel Miles along his path.

Sublimely nuanced and written in ravishing prose that is as unique and irresistible as its subject, Beautiful Monster is one person’s story of navigating the pressures to perform femininity while becoming a gender outlaw. Brimming with wonder, humor, and mythos, entertaining and enlightening in equal measure, this book offers a compelling case for embracing one’s true nature.

Bring your smartest friends to the GBH Studios at the Boston Public Library for a nerdy night of NOVA science trivia! Get ready for creative categories and exciting prizes as we test your knowledge of the natural world, space, the history of science, and more!


Registration is encouraged for this free event.

Join the Charles River Museum for a journey back to Waltham’s railroad heyday, when the advent of the railroad was deeply entwined in the industrial history of the region, and the Boston Manufacturing Company specifically.

Presented by Rick Kfoury.

GBH News Politics Editor Azita Ghahramani moderates a discussion with local leaders for a look ahead at what is to come after Election Day. Hear from women already rolling up their sleeves again to hold space and address the issues.

Go behind the scenes of a three-year project linking computer scientists and religion scholars as they harness the power of computer simulation and modeling to explore solutions for global conflicts rooted in religious violence.

Scientist, engineer and artist Dr. Joy Buolamwini discusses her book UNMASKING AI: My Mission to Protect What is Human in a World of Machines. In it, she uncovers what she calls “the coded gaze”, evidence of encoded racial and gender bias, discrimination and exclusion in tech products. On the basis of her research, Buolamwini founded the Algorithmic Justice League (AJL) to show how racism, sexism, colorism, and ableism can overlap and render broad swaths of humanity “excoded” and vulnerable in a world rapidly adopting AI tools. Encouraging everyone to join this fight, Buolamwini writes, “The rising frontier for civil rights will require algorithmic justice. AI should be for the people and by the people, not just the privileged few.”

Join us for an unforgettable celebration honoring the Boston Celtics’ incredible journey to their 18th NBA Championship title—making them the league’s all-time most-winning franchise. This marks the Celtics’ first championship in 16 years, and we’re bringing together some of the most respected voices in sports journalism to reflect on this momentous achievement.

Our panel features renowned sportswriters Chad Finn, Jackie MacMullan, and Bob Ryan, as they discuss the Celtics legacy through the new book, The Boston Globe Story of the Celtics.  

After the panel discussion, in-person attendees will have the exclusive opportunity to join us for a reception where the iconic Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy will be on display. Capture the moment with photos and celebrate the Celtics’ storied past and bright future with fellow fans and sports enthusiasts.

Don’t miss this chance to honor a franchise that has shaped the landscape of basketball for nearly 80 years!

The event will be moderated by GBH News' Esteban Bustillos.


This event has a few ticket options:


THE IN-STUDIO EXPERIENCE (IN-PERSON) from 7-9pm ET

$100 (in-person) ticket includes:

• admittance to the panel discussion
• a post reception meet and greet with Chad Finn
• a hardcover copy of The Boston Globe Story of the Celtics (autographed by Chad Finn)
• the opportunity to take a personal photo with the Celtics’ 2024 Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy

$75 (in-person) ticket includes:

• admittance to the panel discussion and post-reception
• the opportunity to take a personal photo with the Celtics’ 2024 Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy

THE LIVE-STREAMED (VIRTUAL) EVENT from 7-8pm ET

$50 (virtual) ticket includes: 

• admittance to the livestream of the panel discussion via Zoom Webinar
• a hardcover copy of The Boston Globe Story of the Celtics signed by Chad Finn 

Free (virtual) ticket: 

• admittance to the livestream of the panel discussion via Zoom Webinar