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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

Art, Gender, and Politics in Egypt: Queen Hapshepsut

Fri, Dec 6, 2002

Chahinda Karim discusses how art can mirror society and how Ancient Egypt's surviving artistic tradition can throw light on the life and times of Thutmosides. Before Catherine the Great of Russia, Joan of Arc of France, or Empress Wu Zetian of China, Pharaoh Hatshepsut of Egypt left her mark as one of history's most significant female rulers. Her story is told through archeological evidence, including mummy markings, pottery, and hieroglyphic inscriptions. The art and architecture of the time paints a picture of Hatshepsut as a master politician, pioneering expedition sponsor, and assiduous promoter of the arts. Despite her successes, there is doubt about her effectiveness as a leader. Attempts by her nephew and successor, Thutmose III, to destroy all references to Hatshepsut leave holes in the history and add fuel to the debate.

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Double Helix: Genomes to Biological Networks

Wed, Mar 5, 2003

This is the fourth in a four-part series of lectures celebrating the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA in 1953. These lectures explore the impact this breakthrough is having on scientific discovery today. Part IV: The human genome project has provided researchers with a growing list of genes; but the key to understanding life, both in health and sickness, is the script that outlines how these cellular players interact with each other. Ideker discusses how researchers are using new approaches to biology to map out cell circuitry and illuminate the cause of disease.

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Planets and the Search for New Earths

Wed, Oct 16, 2002

Wesley Traub describes how scientists have succeeded in their quest to find new planets, what they have seen so far, and how they will look for life on these new worlds. Less than a decade ago, the only planets known to exist were the nine of our solar system. Now astronomers have found more than 100 worlds around other Milky Way stars. Most are Jupiter-sized, but Earth-sized orbs may be hiding nearby.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Our Special Planet: A Cradle for Life

Wed, Oct 23, 2002

Peter D. Ward describes the unique traits of our solar system that helped life to gain an initial foothold. Once life arises, it survives tenaciously. Ward explains how important is it to have a Jupiter to divert threatening swarms of comets, a large moon to provide nurturing tides, and a crust of moving plates to recycle the stuff of our world. Despite the flood of newly discovered worlds, Ward argues that our planet is more precious than we may realize.

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Double Helix: The Script for Life

Wed, Mar 5, 2003

This is the first in a four-part series of lectures celebrating the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA in 1953. These lectures explore the impact this breakthrough is having on scientific discovery today. Part I: The human genome project has provided researchers with a growing list of genes; but the key to understanding life, both in health and sickness, is the script that outlines how these cellular players interact with each other. Young discusses how researchers are using new approaches to biology to map out cell circuitry and illuminate the cause of disease.

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Museum of Science, Boston
Double Helix: Implications for Disease

Wed, Mar 19, 2003

This is the third in a four-part series of lectures celebrating the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's discovery of DNA. These lectures explore the impact this breakthrough is having on scientific discovery today. Part III: Weinberg and Daly discuss how scientists are using genetics to understand disease. Weinberg will present the ways that genetic research impacts our approach to studying and understanding cancer. Daly will discuss how new genomic technologies and computational analysis are aiding in the hunt for disease-causing genes.

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Wright Brothers and the Invention of the Airplane

Fri, Feb 7, 2003

Tom Crouch, expert on the Wright Brothers and senior curator at the National Air and Space Museum, discusses how Wilber and Orville Wright started revolutions in transportation, warfare, leisure, and communication, and changed how we all see our world: as a whole. Before the Wright Brothers took their historic flight in north Carolina almost 100 years ago, jetting off to Bermuda was about as realistic as vacationing on Mars.

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Secret Hunt for North American Diamonds

Fri, Nov 7, 2003

Award-winning journalist Kevin Krajick tells the amazing story of modern day prospectors in Canada's frozen North who did the impossible: found diamonds in North America. Hear about the technological tools these two men used, the geology that provides conditions where diamonds are formed, and the fortune found and claimed right under the noses of large multinational companies.

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Acadia to Zion: Understanding Our National Parks

Fri, Dec 5, 2003

Gillian Bowser, former assistant to the Director of the National Park Service and chief scientist in many NPS research efforts, talks about the what, why and who of the National Park System. The United States National Park System (NPS) is made up by sites as diverse in use and nature as this nation's states and territories are themselves, such as Acadia, the Grand Canyon, and the Little Bighorn Battlefield. Today it is comprised of 384 designated areas, and attracts over 421 million visits each year. The NPS is dedicated to preserving the natural and cultural heritage of this country, but what does that mean? While the NPS has always been at the forefront of discussing the relationship between America's varied and vast environment and the society that has developed within it, what this means in California and in Connecticut can be vastly different.

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Exploring Mars: Landscapes and the History of Water

Fri, Jan 2, 2004

Maria Zuber of MIT discusses her experiences working with the Mars Exploration Rover 'Spirit', and the discoveries it made. Taking advantage of Earth's proximity to Mars, astronomers and scientists are launching several missions to Mars to find out more about our red neighbor. On January 4, 2004, a Mars Exploration Rover called 'Spirit' landed inside a Martian crater with the assistance of Maria Zuber. Zuber monitored the radio tracking of the entry, decent and landing out at the Jet Propulsion Lab in California; however, before she went, she shared with us some of the reasons scientists want to study Mars in the first place. What are we looking for? How similar are these two planets? And is there life on Mars?

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