Capital Science Lectures
Most lectures are free and open to the public and are held at the Carnegie Institution,
located at 1530 P Street, NW (corner of 16th and P Streets - map).
A descriptive brochure of the series is available here.
Online calendar | iCal | XML
The Carbon Age: From Crisis to Stability
Eric Roston Duke University, The Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions, Author of The Carbon Age: How Life’s Core Element Has Become Civilization’s Greatest Threat
James Gustave Speth Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Author of The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability
Science has never carried greater promise for our lives than it does today. Yet some technologies that power prosperity now show a perilous side. A distinguished science journalist and an environmental
visionary grapple with these conflicting realities.
Sponsored by the Center for Global Ethics, George Mason University
Cooperation and Collective Behavior, from Bacteria to the Global Commons
A sustainable future for humanity will require finding a way to share our complex environment. Learn about the evolution of cooperation in non-human populations, and what must change in our own behaviors if we are to have a common future.
2008 Balzan Lecture - The Shifting Notion of Mathematical Truth
Truth in mathematics is often said to be certain and unassailable in contrast to the observational and experimental sciences where even fundamental concepts can be overturned by new data. Using examples from ancient times to the present, this lecture will explore some radically different views of how truth can shift in a mathematical context.
Sponsored by the Embassies of Italy and Switzerland
Geysers of the Solar System
What would Old Faithful look like if it erupted on Io, the hot moon of Jupiter, or on Enceladus, the frigid moon of Saturn? What can the towering geysers on Io and Enceladus tell us about the interiors of these moons?
In Search of Memory
Join us for a screening of producer/director Petra Seeger’s documentary film about the life and accomplishments of neuroscientist Eric Kandel, who won the Nobel Prize in 2000 for his research on how our brains create memories. Dr. Kandel and Ms. Seeger will engage in a Q&A session after the screening.
Co-hosted by the Embassy of Austria, Office of Science and Technology, and the Austrian Cultural Forum Washington
The Creation of Everything: The First 2 Billion Years
Do you ever question the Big Bang? The Hubble Space Telescope has now looked far enough back in time to reveal the universe when it was very young and shows how different it really looked.
Hazy Skies on the Early Earth: Lessons from Saturn’s Moon Titan
Saturn’s moon, Titan, is covered by a thick organic haze that completely shrouds the surface from view. Such a mysterious haze might have also been present on Earth billions of years ago. Comparing the hazes that form in these two distant lands can help us learn more about the climate and habitability of our own planet in ancient times.
The Crowded Universe: The Search for Living Planets
Learn about the latest developments in the search for Earth-like planets outside the Solar System as astrophysicist Alan Boss discusses his new book, The Crowded Universe.
Tickets are required for this Smithsonian Resident Associates program only.
For details call 202.633.3030, or click to purchase tickets
Cell-to-Cell Communication in Bacteria
Bacteria communicate with chemical languages that allow them to synchronize their behavior and act as enormous multi-cellular organisms. This enables bacteria to successfully infect and cause disease in plants, animals and humans. Learn how investigations of these molecular mechanisms could lead to new antiobiotic therapies.
