Antonio R. Damasio
College of Medicine
Department of Neurology
The University of Iowa

Exploring the Minded Brain

What are the biological processes behind functions of the mind? How are neuroscience and cognitive science helping us to understand emotion, memory, and language -- even the mysterious mechanisms of consciousness itself?

Tuesday, November 16, 1999 - 6:30 PM

Sandra M. Faber
Lick Observatory
University of California, Santa Cruz

Landmark Images from the Hubble Telescope: Magic and Meaning

Why is the Hubble Space Telescope, after an extraordinarily inauspicious beginning, now one of astronomy's great triumphs? How are its superb images revolutionizing our thinking about the Earth and its place in the universe?

Tuesday, December 14, 1999 - 6:30 PM

Shirley M. Tilghman
Lewis Thomas Laboratory
Department of Molecular Biology
Princeton University

Genomic Imprinting: A Genetic Arms Race

Mammalian embryos inherit some genes from each parent that have been permanently silenced. Mothers appear to silence genes that promote an embryo's growth, while fathers silence genes intended to limit growth. What evolutionary purpose does this unusual "imprinting" serve?

Tuesday, January 25, 2000 - 6:30 PM

[Cancelled because of weather. Rescheduled and delivered on November 28, 2000.]

Sallie W. Chisholm
Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Biology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

The Invisible Forest: Phytoplankton and Global Change

Phytoplankton play a significant role in the Earth's climate system. Could ocean fertilization be used to stimulate the growth of these microscope plants and reduce global warming? Or would this lead to unintended and undersirable consequences?

Tuesday, February 22, 2000 - 6:30 PM

Richard Klausner
National Cancer Institute
Bethesda, Maryland

Cancer Biology: From Scientific Revolution to Clinical Breakthrough

Have scientists finally achieved a "grand synthesis" view of cancer, explaining both the diversity and commonality of the diseases bearing that name? Are we poised for a final assault on cancer that promises to prevent, detect, dispose, and treat one of humankind's worst afflictions?

Tuesday, March 21, 2000 - 6:30 PM

Frank Hole
C. J. MacCurdy Professor of Anthropology
Department of Anthropology
Yale University

The Archaeology of Agricultural Origins

What special factors led to the relatively rapid domestication of plants and animals only in a few places around the Earth? How have archaeology and ancillary sciences accounted for this remarkable development, second only to the harnessing of fire?

Tuesday, April 18, 2000 - 6:30 PM

Persi Diaconis
Department of Mathematics and Department of Statistics
Stanford University

On Coincidences

Astounding coincidences surround us, even affecting where we live and work. But can a bit of quantative thinking show that things aren't so surprising after all?

Tuesday, May 16, 2000 - 6:30 PM

Cornelia Isabella Bargmann
Department of Anatomy
University of California, San Francisco

Genes, Behavior, and the Sense of Smell

Can a microscopic roundworm, which uses smell to regulate many aspects of its behavior and development, help us understand aspects of human behavior? Which of our olfactory behaviors are set by genetics and developmental programs and which are changed by our experiences?