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All upcoming Science & Nature programs

All upcoming Science & Nature programs

Programs 1 to 10 of 18
Tuesday, November 12, 2024 - 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET

The word “psychotherapy” is derived from the Greek psyche, meaning soul, and therapiea, meaning healing. Thus, psychotherapy is “soul healing,” the term used by ancient philosophers to describe important functions of philosophical reflection: to help people live a good life, seek answers to vexing personal questions, and bring their souls into consonance with the nature of existence. Philosophical counselor Samir Chopra explores the history of philosophy understood as therapy and explains the methods of modern philosophical counseling.


Wednesday, November 20, 2024 - 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET

The Philadelphia region boasts a great wealth of exceptional gardens, both public and private. Nicole Juday, author of Private Gardens of Philadelphia, follows up her previous look at the region’s notable gardens with five new locations, ranging from small urban jewel boxes to vast estates.


Tuesday, December 3, 2024 - 6:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. ET

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the fossil skeleton known as Lucy. Learn more about this 3.2-million-year-old find and the significance of its species, Australopithecus afarensis, from paleoanthropologist Rick Potts of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. Paleo-artist John Gurche discusses how he reconstructed Lucy’s body for the museum and why several of her features are unlike those of any human or ape living today.


Wednesday, December 4, 2024 - 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET

For 115 years, Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, has stood as one of the world’s leading collections of plants, showcasing botanical splendor and state-of-the-art glasshouses. Celebrate the yuletide season at Longwood during a day that explores a newly reopened conservatory, holiday-themed gardens, and a stunning light display.


Wednesday, December 11, 2024 - 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. ET

By the year 2100, the global population is predicted to be 10 billion, 2 billion more than now. Architect Vishaan Chakrabarti sees this as an opportunity to build a more ecologically healthy and equitable world centered on well-designed communities with new forms of affordable, sustainable housing. Drawing from his new book, The Architecture of Urbanity: Designing for Nature, Culture, and Joy, Chakrabarti says that caring for the character and culture of communities can be the key to solving urgent global and political challenges.


Thursday, December 12, 2024 - 7:00 a.m., to Friday, December 13, 2024 - 8:00 p.m. ET
In-Person Overnight Tour

During the winter season, Cape May, New Jersey, transforms from a beach destination into a storybook holiday town. A two-day tour offers the opportunity to experience this National Historic Landmark site and its Victorian elegance during a magical time of year.


Thursday, December 12, 2024 - 6:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET

The disappointments and sorrows of life can leave us hurting and isolated. But journalist Steven Petrow, has a surprising insight: Joy is always present—in our everyday routines, in ties to those we care about, even in our grief. In a conversation with Todd Doughty, author of Little Pieces of Hope: Happy-Making Things in a Difficult World, Petrow draws on personal experiences, research, and interviews with experts to describe the many expressions of joy and how to find, cultivate, and share it.


Wednesday, December 18, 2024 - 6:45 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET

It’s not just celebrity that connects Harry and Megan, Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, and Lady Gaga: It’s their flocks of backyard chickens. For more than two decades, naturalist, adventurer, and author Sy Montgomery nurtured one of her own. Drawing on personal stories and science, she reveals the remarkable facets and abilities that make a chicken such a feathered phenomenon.


Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - 12:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. ET

Not everyone is aware that the health care system scoops up our most intimate medical secrets to sell commercially to companies that have nothing to do with our treatment or billing. Adam Tanner, author of Our Bodies, Our Data: How Companies Make Billions Selling Our Medical Records, examines how this lucrative international business extends to doctors, hospitals, pharmacies, and insurers—and even labs that test blood and conduct other deeply revealing tests. He offers insights into how we can best balance the promise big data offers to advance medicine and improve lives while preserving the rights and interests of every patient.


Wednesday, January 8, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. ET

On April 18, 1906, San Francisco was nearly destroyed by a massive earthquake and ensuing devastating fires, a catastrophe beyond the experience—or imagination—of the city’s residents. Historian John A. Martini brings stories of the disaster to life using seldom-seen photographs of the earthquake damage, the fires that followed, and the massive relief efforts led by the U.S. Army that aided the victims.