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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

Exploring Saturn and Its Titan Moon

Wed, Apr 14, 2004

David A. Aguilar and Carolyn C. Porco explain that, while aspects of Saturn are still mysteries, scientists hope that the Cassini-Huyguns Space Craft (due to approach Saturn's orbit in July of 2004) will answer many questions. Saturn, the second largest planet in our solar system, is a gaseous giant encircled by 31 moons and, of course, its brilliant rings. The Cassini Orbitor will circle the planet and its moons, while the Huyguns Probe will land on the surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon.

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Nanotechnology: The Next Small Thing?

Wed, Jan 21, 2004

Nancy A. Burnham, W. Grant McGimpsey, and William Durgin discuss consumer products that take advantage of the possibilities of nanotechnology, and what we can expect to see on the market in the near future. The computer industry is continually working to make transistors smaller, cheaper, and faster. As systems become tinier, they behave in ways that are fundamentally different from those made on a macroscopic scale. Because of this great difference, nanotechnology presents new opportunities and possibilities.

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Hydrogen Based Economy: Just A Dream?

Wed, Jan 28, 2004

This panel presentation reviews the current status of reasons and technologies for hydrogen production in our quest for economical, reliable, environmentally sound energy. It also provides an introduction to proton-exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, how they function, and a discussion of the technological challenges overcome in recent years and those that still exist in developing and commercializing fuel cells. Panelists are from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, and include professors Yi H. (Ed) Ma and Ravindra Datta, James P. Dunn, President of Tech Commercialization, and William Durgin, Vice President of Research. As we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother's flight, we look toward the future of aviation technology - fuel cell powered electric aircraft. At just 346 pounds, the all carbon DynAero Lafayette III soon will take a critical step toward becoming the first piloted plane to be powered by fuel cells.

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Improbable Research and the IgNobel Prizes

Fri, Apr 1, 2005

Join the IgNobel Prizes founder and host Marc Abrahams for a look at some of the most mind-popping IgNobel Prize winners. The IgNobel Prizes, awarded annually at a ceremony at Harvard University, honor things that first make people laugh, and then make them think. The awards are designed to celebrate the unusual, honor the imaginative, and spur people's interest in science, medicine and technology.

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Extreme Makeover: Mural Edition

Wed, Jan 11, 2006

Gianfranco Pocobono and Richard Wolbers discuss how science and art merged to conserve the John La Farge murals at Trinity Church Boston, and what happens when the conservation choices are not clear cut and the world is watching. Art and science have continually flirted over the centuries. Both investigate. Both involve theories and transforming information into something else. This lecture is a part of a Museum of Science series "When Science Meets Art", which examines the mysterious symbiosis of science with art through the ingenuity of those shattering the boundaries between the two fields.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Long and Wide: Far-Reaching Earthquakes

Fri, Feb 4, 2005

Seismologist Susan Hough lectures on far-reaching earthquakes and their impact on our planet and on the science world. In 1992, the Landers earthquake struck north of Palm Springs with a magnitude of 7.3. It shook up not only the state of California, but scientists' long-held beliefs about the reach of earthquakes. Hear how the discovery of remotely trigged earthquakes radically altered the way scientists view the impact of earthquakes on the surrounding region and on the planet as a whole.

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Life of a Drug: Clinical Trials and Tribulations

Fri, Jan 21, 2005

Timothy Maher follows the lifespan of a new chemical entity from initial discovery, through synthesis, preclinical and clinical testing, to approval, launch and post-marketing surveillance. Maher charts the ups and downs along the way from before a drug is approved, through marketing, and use and beyond; and he answers questions like: What is a "black-box" warning? Who's looking out for your well-being? Should "Fen-Phen" have ever happened? What about Vioxx? This project is supported by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health. It does not necessarily represent the official views of NCRR or NIH.

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Unicorn in Captivity: Science Helping Art

Wed, Jan 18, 2006

Brothers David and Gregory Chudnovsky discuss their contribution to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Unicorn Tapestries project. To create an exact visual reproduction of one of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Unicorn Tapestries, digital cameras photographed every inch. When the hundreds of digital photographic files didn't fit smoothly together, the Chudnovsky brothers, co-directors of the Institute for Mathematics and Advanced Supercomputing, were brought in to solve the mystery. Art and science have continually flirted over the centuries. Both investigate. Both involve theories and transforming information into something else. This lecture is a part of a Museum of Science series "When Science Meets Art", which examines the mysterious symbiosis of science with art through the ingenuity of those shattering the boundaries between the two fields.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Stem Cell Research and Policy

Fri, Nov 19, 2004

George Daley and his team of stem cell rearchers from Harvard Medical School discuss the scientific and medical potential of stem cells, as well as the controversy and the impact of the recent election on stem cell policy. Following the presentation, the team engages in a public discussion about the ideas, questions and concerns that lecture attendees have about stem cell research. This project is supported by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health. It does not necessarily represent the official views of NCRR or NIH.

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Psychology of Surveys: Measuring Public Opinion

Fri, Nov 5, 2004

Barry C. Burden of Harvard University lectures on the science and technology behind measuring public opinion. How can we know what 200 million Americans think, feel, and know? Can telephone interviews with a few hundred people really describe public opinion? How much can answers be manipulated by rewording the questions? This lecture is ASL interpreted.

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Museum of Science, Boston