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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

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Museum of Science, Boston

One of the world's largest science centers, the Museum of Science, Boston attracts 1.6 million visitors a year through vibrant programs and over 550 interactive exhibits. Its mission is to stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and society. Other features include the Thomson Theater of Electricity; Current Science & Technology Center; Charles Hayden Planetarium; Gilliland Observatory; and Mugar Omni Theater. The Museum's exhibit plan, Science Is an Activity, has been awarded several National Science Foundation grants and profoundly influenced exhibit development at other major science centers.

http://www.mos.org

Monsters, Dwarfs, and Everything in Between

Wed, Apr 20, 2005

Sally Baliunas discusses how physics enables us to study rare and distant stars, from monsters 100 times heavier than the sun, to white dwarfs no larger than Earth but more than 100,000 times more dense. Baliunas explains that inside the nucleus of an atom, the laws of quantum mechanics successfully describe the domain of the incredibly small; yet the same laws influence the very large, including such objects as stars.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth I

Wed, Oct 5, 2005

Lynn Rothschild, NASA astrobiologist, talks about cosmic evolution. Cosmic evolution is the modern scientific story of who we are and whence we came; the story of us.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Onset of Civilization and Prospects for the Future I

Wed, Oct 12, 2005

Fred Speir and Jill Tarter examine the continuously unfolding story of cosmic evolution, the modern scientific story of who we are and whence we came.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Growing New Body Parts

Tue, May 3, 2005

Tissue engineering involves the application of the principles and methods of engineering and the life sciences towards the development of biological substitutes to restore, maintain, or improve functions of tissues or organs. It is expected that engineered tissues can help address the growing problem of tissue and organ failure by implanting tissue substitutes grown in the laboratory that can provide immediate function and integrate with surrounding host issues. The field relies on an interdisciplinary approach to solve complex tissue and organ problems in the laboratory. Teams of engineers, biologists and clinicians are essential to the successful engineering of these systems. Requirements for tissue engineering generally include a cell source (often stem cells), biomaterial scaffolds (the structures upon which the cells will stick, grow and produce new tissue) and a bioreactor (laboratory environment designed to mimic some of the conditions present during normal tissue development). With the advanced systems we now have, tissues similar to those in our body can be generated in the laboratory. As a result of active research in the area, new opportunities become available, including the repair and replacement of damaged or diseased tissues in the body, the use of these tissues for the study of disease formation and progression (such as cancer), and therapeutic treatments (such as to identify new drugs). We have prepared a set of four presentations to illustrate some of the exciting opportunities that tissue engineering offers to clinical medicine.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Exploring Space with Humans and Robots

Wed, Apr 26, 2006

Jeffrey Hoffman, a former space shuttle astronaut, discusses personal experiences of space flight and shares his thoughts on the synergy between human and robotic exploration of space. He points out that the vast majority of space exploration is currently performed by machines ranging from telescopes to robots. (Photo: ["STS-135 begins takeoff"](http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/5916678920/in/photostream/. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:STS-135_begins_takeoff.jpg#/media/File:STS-135_begins_takeoff.jpg "") by Bill Ingalls)

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Museum of Science, Boston
NASA's Vision for Human Space Exploration

Wed, Apr 19, 2006

Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, and Jonathan McDowell, astrophysicist at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center, discuss NASA's Vision, the benefits and disadvantages of manned versus robotic missions, and whether we should be spending money on space-related projects instead of addressing needs here on earth.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness

Wed, Oct 4, 2006

Tal Ben-Shahar discusses current research on the science of happiness and introduces ideas and tools that can actually make a difference in one's life. break The study of happiness or of enhancing the quality of our lives, has been dominated by pop-psychology (much charisma, but relatively little substance) and academia (much substance, but isolated from most people's everyday lives). Positive Psychology, the scientific study of optimal human functioning, creates a bridge between the Ivory Tower and Main Street, making rigorous academic ideas accessible to all. Tal Ben-Shahar, instructor of the most popular course at Harvard University, discusses the findings of current research on the science of happiness and introduces ideas and tools that can actually make a difference in one's life.

Mental Health Month

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Museum of Science, Boston
Over My Dead Body

Fri, Sep 29, 2006

A panel discusses the fate of Mattatuck Museum's skeleton, Larry, and tries to resolve issues surrounding what happens to our bodies after we die, and who decides what is okay. Where is the line between respect for the human body after death, and the use of human remains for display and education? Where do museums fit in? For decades, Connecticut's Mattatuck Museum has grappled with difficult issues in relation to one of their most iconic artifacts, a skeleton known as Larry. Research recently revealed that the skeleton belonged to an enslaved man named Fortune, whose owner, a doctor, had preserved the bones upon Fortune's death. This program is part panel discussion and part forum conversation.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Roy Gould: Who Needs Physics?

Wed, Apr 6, 2005

Roy Gould, a researcher at the Harvard Center for Astrophysics tackles the question of how physics will help reveal the true nature of the cosmos.

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Museum of Science, Boston
David Charbonneau: Oddballs in the Cosmos

Wed, Apr 13, 2005

David Charbonneau, the Thomas D. Cabot Associate Professor of Astronomy at Harvard University, takes time to discuss the possibility that, in the great cosmos, our solar system could be the exception to the cosmic rule, and not the standard model. The diversity of planets detected around our neighboring stars has taken astronomers completely by surprise. Recent unprecedented glimpses into distant worlds and their atmospheres have astronomers pondering exactly how these oddball planets came to be, and whether, after all, our own solar system might be the cosmic rarity.

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Museum of Science, Boston