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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

  • Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World

    Fri, Dec 1, 2006
    Andrew Revkin details his fascinating adventure to the icy outer limits of earth with a team of scientists whose task was to determine the natural and man-made causes of dramatic climate changes in the Arctic. The award-winning *New York Times* journalist discusses his new book, *The North Pole Was Here: Puzzles and Perils at the Top of the World*. Revkin's talk is moderated by Christopher Lydon of *Open Source*, and produced in association with the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Wild Trees: Uncharted Canopy Biosphere of Redwoods

    Wed, May 9, 2007
    Richard Preston, author of *The Hot Zone*, tells the story of Steve Sillett and Marie Antoine and a group of botanists and amateur naturalists who discovered a mysterious world hidden above California. *The Wild Trees: A Story of Passion and Daring* is the tale of their adventures exploring the uncharted canopy biosphere of the largest and tallest organisms the world has ever sustained, the coast redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens).
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Unexpected Interface: Proteins and Evolutionary Change

    Tue, Mar 20, 2007
    Susan Lindquist describes protein folding, and how this phenomenon allows orgnisms to evolve rapidly in response to new environmental conditions. All proteins start out as long strings of amino acids. Before a protein can function, it must fold into an extremely precise, highly complex structure. This is a difficult feat in the highly concentrated environment of the cell. Protein folding is facilitated by helper proteins called molecular chaperones. Lindquist's recent work suggests that the forces that govern protein folding exert a profound effect in determining how the genes encoded by an organism's DNA are translated into phenotypic traits. The folding mechanisms of molecular chaperone proteins can allow organisms to reveal accumulated-but-hidden genetic variation in times of stress.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • A Sustainable Transportation Vision for New England

    Sun, Sep 17, 2006
    Chella Rajan moderates a panel discussion on the important stakes that cities, states, employers, the environment, and the public have in future patterns and costs of transportation. Ideas contributing to a sustainable transportation vision in New England are considered, including new technology, smart land use, mixed-use land development, access to appropriate transport services, thoughtful urban design, and personal behavior.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • DNA and the Exit to Freedom

    Wed, Nov 7, 2007
    Calvin C. Johnson, Jr. dicsusses wrongful murder conviction and imprisonment, and the events that led to his exoneration. **Calvin C. Johnson, Jr.** stood in a courtroom in 1983, and was sentenced to life in prison for a rape and burglary he said he did not commit. "With God as my witness, I have been falsely accused," Johnson told the judge, "I'm an innocent man." After 16 years in prison, Johnson was exonerated with the help of the Innocence Project and state of the art science. He was the 61st person in the US, and the first in Georgia, to be proved innocent by DNA testing.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston

  • Soft Car: Human-Friendly Car Design

    Sun, Sep 17, 2006
    Mitchell Joachim shares some of his 'out of this world' thinking regarding the future of automobile design. Joachim's work is to rethink car design based upon more humanistic principles. From the history of alternative urban design to his own work with Frank Gehry on a Soft Car with omnidirectional wheels and human friendly design, Joachim peers into a future very different from today's SUV-filled one.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Museum of Science, Boston