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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

Onset of Civilization and Prospects for the Future II

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
Doctors Without Borders in Niger

Sat, Nov 5, 2005

Milton Tectonidisas and Jonathan Spector describe Plumpy'nut, a revolutionary new approach that Doctors Without Borders is using to treat malnourishment in Niger; and they discuss what this technique could mean for how the organization will respond to nutritional crises and famine in the future. Doctors Without Borders has traditionally treated malnourished children through both supplementary feeding centers for the moderately malnourished and inpatient therapeutic feeding centers for the most severely malnourished. The organization is now moving toward a new approach, enabling medical teams to reach tens of thousands more children. Thanks to a new therapeutic nutritional technology called Plumpy'nut, Doctors Without Borders now treats severely malnourished children on an outpatient basis, allowing children to return home when they would normally be hospitalized. With the help of Plumpy'nut, Doctors Without Borders has a 90% cure rate in its outpatient programs in Niger and has treated 40,000 children so far in 2005.

Global Health

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Museum of Science, Boston
From Stem Cells To Cancer Cells

Fri, Oct 21, 2005

Fernando Camargo discusses his research on how cancer arises, what can be done to stop it, and whether cancer is related to stem cells. The human stem cells found in our bone marrow have the amazing ability to develop into different types of cells such as blood or immune system cells. This happens in all of us everyday, but we know little about how it happens. Camargo's research centers on figuring out how stem cells travel down their path to become a new bone or blood cell. Recently, new theories suggest that stem cells have some of the same characteristics as cancer cells. Figuring out how stem cells replicate themselves, divide into specialized cells, or even give rise to a cancer would provide answers for research scientists and maybe treatments for patients.

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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
Stem Cells 101 and Beyond

Fri, Mar 17, 2006

Divya Mathur and Chris Lengner from Rudolf Jaenisch's lab at the Whitehead Institute discuss the basics of stem cell research, as well as their latest findings.

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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.

Forum Network

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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
Art of Living a Second Life

Wed, Apr 25, 2007

Eric Gordon moderates a panel discussion about art practice in *Second Life*, an 3-D online world where real business is conducted using virtual dollars that can then be traded in the real world. Called "the biggest digital art installation in the world" by Warren Ellis, *Second Life* is a highly imaginative, online, 3-D rendered environment populated with avatars (graphic representations of people). In *Second Life* you can teleport, fly, do not age, live in a house, go to clubs, take classes, make and view art, or just "hang out." Spanning more than 42,000 acres in real-world scale, *Second Life* is second home to over 2 million "residents," many of whom collaboratively create its content. This lecture is a part of the 2007 Boston Cyberarts Festival and produced in partnership with Emerson College and Turbulence.org's "OurFloatingPoints 4: Participatory Media" series.

Forum Network

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Museum of Science, Boston