2019 Feb 04
Twins in Space
5:00pm
Location: 
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Knafel Center, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge
Spaceflight poses unusual stressors to the human body. To ensure that astronauts can perform under daunting conditions, NASA investigators have been studying the effect of long-duration spaceflight on crew members. This lecture will present the findings of the NASA Twins Study, which evaluated twin astronauts in different environments for one year: one in space and one on Earth.
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2018 Dec 08
Measure Twice, Cut Once: Introductory Tree and Shrub Pruning
9:30am to 12:00pm
Location: 
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Instructor: Andrew Gapinski, Head of Horticulture, Arnold Arboretum
Put down the hedge shears! Through both classroom instruction and hands-on field training, this class will include what’s, whys, and how’s of proper pruning approaches and...
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2018 Dec 01
Growing Woody Plants from Hardwood Cuttings
9:00am to 12:30pm
Location: 
Dana Greenhouse Classroom, 1050 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Join Manager of Plant Production Tiffany Enzenbacher to learn how to propagate woody plants from fall cuttings. Students will collect and stick cuttings of several taxa (Ilex and Pieris to name a few), and will take their propagules home. After rooting, small plants may be ready to transplant as early as next year. Post-class nurturing will be required. Fee for all...
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2018 Nov 15
Early Science from the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
7:30pm
Location: 
60 Garden Street, Phillips Auditorium, Cambridge, MA 02138
Sam Quinn, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) began science operations in July 2018, and over the next two years will survey most of the sky in search of small planets transiting the nearest stars, the brightness of which enables studies of planetary compositions and atmospheric properties. These will likely be the planets on which we focus our search for life through the detection of biosignature gases in the planets' atmospheres. However, TESS is not just an exoplanet mission; by monitoring...
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2018 Nov 08
Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past
6:00pm
Location: 
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
David Reich, Professor, Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Senior Associate Member, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
Sweeping technological innovations in the field of genomics are enabling scientists to extract and analyze ancient...
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2018 Nov 08
Exhibition Opening: Measure
5:00pm
Location: 
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Knafel Center, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Anna Von Mertens is an exhibited artist who uses the structures of quilting and drawing to explore the frontiers of human understanding. Her new exhibition "Measure" explores the life and work of Henrietta Leavitt, one of the women “computers” hired to study glass-plate astronomical photographs at the Harvard College Observatory a century ago. Leavitt’s findings provided a unit of measurement for galactic distances. Reimagined in meticulous stitches and intricate graphite marks, Von Mertens examines our current understanding of the size and shape of...
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2018 Nov 05
Next in Evolution
2:30pm to 5:30pm
Location: 
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Knafel Center, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
The Next in Science series provides an opportunity for early-career scientists whose creative, cross-disciplinary research is thematically linked to introduce their work to one another, to fellow scientists, and to nonspecialists from Harvard and the greater Boston area. The focus of this year’s program is in the study of evolution. In this program, two leading researchers will explore the genetic impact of Neanderthal interbreeding with modern humans and consider how people migrated, adapted, and mixed over the course of human history. Two...
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2018 Oct 28
Fog x Kids: Family Drop In's: Engineering in the Fog
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: 
Hunnewell Building and Lawn, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Engineering in the Fog --make your own glasses to create your up close and personal Fog for ages 8 and up.  One adult may bring a maximum of three children; age suitability listed above after dates. Meet on the Hunnewell Building lawn to the south of the building.  Free, drop in, no registration required.
...
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2018 Oct 27
Fabulous Fungus Fair
2:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: 
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Explore the wondrous world of fungi! Join Harvard students for a closer look at the mushrooms, yeasts, and molds found in gardens, forests, labs—even in our own refrigerators. This is an opportunity to investigate museum collections and participate in hands-on activities led by Harvard students.
Learn more about Fabulous Fungus Fair....
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2018 Oct 27
Growing Woody Plants from Seeds
9:00am to 12:30pm
Location: 
Dana Greenhouse, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Learn about seed biology, embryo dormancy, and factors present in woody plant seeds. The class will focus on seed storage and various treatment techniques, including over-wintering and aftercare. Appropriate for those who have succeeded at growing some plants from seed and are ready for greater challenges. Post-class nurturing will be required. Fee $55 members; $68 non-members.
...
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2018 Oct 26
The Undiscovered
9:00am to 5:00pm
Location: 
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Knafel Center, 10 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA
To paraphrase Louis Pasteur, sometimes luck favors the prepared mind, as when Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin by noticing that mold growing accidentally in his lab seemed to kill bacteria. This 2018 Radcliffe Institute science symposium will focus on how scientists explore realities they cannot anticipate. Speakers from across the disciplines of modern science will present personal experiences and discuss how to train scientists, educators, and funders to foster the expertise and open-mindedness needed to reveal undiscovered aspects of the world around us.
...
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2018 Oct 22
What’s Going On in This Graph?
7:00pm to 8:30pm
Location: 
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Sharon Hessney, Writer and Moderator of New York Times Learning Network "What's Going On in This Graph?"
Graphs can go a long way in conveying information that might otherwise take several paragraphs to explain. But it is easy to misread or not fully understand the content and context. In this participatory program, we will decipher several graphs based on data from Arnold Arboretum curators and scientists. We will also look at the data...
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2018 Oct 21
Small Trees for Small Spaces
10:00am to 12:30pm
Location: 
Hunnewell Building and Landscape, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Urban and suburban planting spaces are often constrained, often not ideal for accommodating a large oak, linden, or maple tree. But there are many smaller tree species that will thrive in a smaller space and won’t overwhelm the area. Some trees are cultivars that have been selected for their smaller size or narrow characteristics, while others are naturally genetically petite. Guided by the “right plant, right place” philosophy, Laura Mele...
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2018 Oct 18
Quantum Tools to Explore the Universe…and Help Life on Earth
7:30pm
Location: 
60 Garden Street, Phillips Auditorium, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138
At the Center for Astrophysics, we exploit quantum physics to advance the state-of-the-art in measurement and imaging, and then apply these tools to search for Earth-like planets around other stars and probe the nature, history, and fate of the Universe. Sometimes, these quantum tools can also be applied to down-to-Earth problems — ranging from health to navigation. 
Learn more about Quantum Tools to Explore the Universe…and Help Life on Earth.
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2018 Oct 16
Nature vs. Fiction in Sci-Fi Movies
6:00pm
Location: 
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Miaki Ishii, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University
Recent volcanic eruptions in Hawaii and Guatemala remind us of how devastating these geological eruptions can be. Popular culture depictions of volcanic disasters found in movies like Dante’s Peak and Volcano can strongly distort the public’s understanding of volcanic activity and its immediate effects. As with many science-fiction films, Hollywood depictions of natural phenomena don’t always align with the scientific facts. Seismologist Miaki...
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2018 Oct 14
Earth Stories: A Museum Mini-Festival
1:00pm to 4:00pm
Location: 
Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford Street, Cambridge
Celebrate Earth Science Week at the Harvard Museum of Natural History!  Explore how minerals can be clues to Earth processes. Discover what earthquakes can teach us about the interior of the earth. Learn about our planet’s atmosphere and climate. Meet Harvard scientists and find out how their research is helping us understand Earth’s past and its place in our solar system. 
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2018 Oct 12
Fifty Shades of Green: Tales from the Hothouse
7:30pm to 8:30pm
Location: 
Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum, 125 Arborway, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
Back by popular demand with more content! Terry Huang’s bawdy botanical review delves into the sex lives of plants, dramatically explaining the challenges of courtship and consummation for those rooted in place. Alluring suitors with a pungent rotten odor, promising nectar for the exchange of goods, or going at it alone, plants have evolved interesting strategies to ensure their continued existence. From mutualistic partnerships to deceit-filled...
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2018 Oct 10
Genes, Cognition, and Human Brain Evolution
6:00pm
Location: 
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Christopher A. Walsh, Bullard Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Chief, Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital; Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Associate Member, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT
Despite major scientific advances in sequencing the genomes of species through the animal kingdom, it has been remarkably difficult to identify the genes that enable the unique cultural, aesthetic, and reasoning capabilities of humans. Christopher Walsh will discuss how research on specific genes...
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2018 Oct 04
Conserving Biodiversity: A Global Priority
6:00pm
Location: 
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Biodiversity is the sum total of life on Earth and a living legacy to future generations. Sadly, it is declining almost everywhere on the planet. Russell A. Mittermeier, recipient of the 2018 Indianapolis Prize, is a biologist and lifelong conservationist who has traveled across 169 countries and discovered more than 20 species in his quest to save biodiversity hotspots. Focusing on nonhuman primates—our closest living relatives—...
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2018 Sep 24
Conflict and the Global Threat of Pandemics
6:00pm
Location: 
Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA
Michele Barry, Professor of Medicine; Senior Associate Dean of Global Health; Director, Center for Innovation in Global Health, Stanford University
...
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