All upcoming Lectures

Humans have long thought of their bodies and minds as separate spheres of existence, with the body as physical and the mind as mental. But such thinking is a barrier to discovery and understanding, and a new framework is needed, argues neuroscientist Joseph LeDoux. He shares his latest research, which says that human beings are a composite of four fundamental realms of existence—biological, neurobiological, cognitive, and conscious. Together our realms account for all of what and who we are, LeDoux says.

“Brilliant Exiles: American Women in Paris, 1900–1939” at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery illuminates the accomplishments of 60 women who crossed the Atlantic to pursue personal and professional aspirations in the vibrant cultural milieu of Paris. Robyn Asleson, the gallery’s curator of prints and drawings, provides an overview of the first exhibition to focus on the impact of American women on Paris—and of Paris on American women­—as she discusses portraits of Josephine Baker, Isadora Duncan, Zelda Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Anna May Wong, among others. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

In the distant past, people were both awed and alarmed by comets. We now know that comets are leftovers from the dawn of our solar system around 4.6 billion years ago. They may yield important clues about the solar system’s formation. Carey Lisse, an astronomer at Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory, highlights what we know about comets and what we are still hoping to find out.

A groundbreaking fusion of classical music and jazz, Rhapsody in Blue is one of America's most beloved cultural icons. Pianist and speaker Rachel Franklin celebrates its very big birthday by diving into how George Gershwin conceived the work; the roles of arranger Ferde Grofé and bandleader Paul Whiteman; and the composition's myriad reincarnations since its exuberant February 1924 premiere with its composer at the piano.

Ever since its publication in 1954, Nobel laureate William Golding’s Lord of the Flies has been a mainstay of syllabi and reading lists throughout the world. Literature professor Joseph Luzzi leads a detailed analysis and examination of the harrowing story of a group of British boys stranded on an uninhabited island during a time of war.

As twilight settled in the ancient world, a host of activities began, some of which were significantly different from what was done during the day. Paleolithic archaeologist April Nowell reveals the people who worked the night shift in ancient societies: the hunters, sewage workers, poets, ironsmiths, rebellion leaders, and others. Drawing on archaeological data and textual evidence, she argues that night in the ancient world was anything but sleepy.

Impressionism ignited in the rolling green countryside of Normandy, France, where Claude Monet and other local artists developed this new way of painting, shocking many traditionalists. In a spring lecture series, travel writer Barbara Noe Kennedy takes you to visit the sites where Impressionism was born and evolved—including the exact places where well-known paintings were created. Maps, photos, videos, and other visuals accompany the journey through the countryside and the Paris area. This session focuses on the origins of Impressionism. (World Art History Certificate elective, 1/2 credit)

Tucked away along coastal Maine, Hog Island is the home of a National Audubon Society camp that has been operation since 1936. Isolated from the outside world and filled with both pristine forest and coastal habitats, the surrounding Muscongus Bay teems with terns, bald eagles, common eiders, and seals. Naturalist Matt Felperin shares his experiences at the camp, displays striking wildlife photos, and reveals why Hog Island should be on your bucket list of nature-education programs.

For historians like Megan Kate Nelson, the “archive,” usually a library, university, museum, or historical society collection, is a sacred place. But what happens when these sources don’t contain the answers they seek? Nelson unfolds three research adventures that led her to places beyond the traditional archives—including a mountain pass in New Mexico—during her preparation for The Three-Cornered War, a book about the Civil War in the desert Southwest.

The taboo-smashing star Anna May Wong challenged Hollywood at its own game by speaking out about the industry’s blatant racism. Unhappy with being typecast as a China doll or dragon lady, she used her international fame to reshape Asian American representation in film. Biographer Katie Gee Salisbury discusses Wong’s career as a groundbreaking artist, bringing an unsung heroine to light and reclaiming her place in cinema history.