Science at AMNH

The worlds’ oceans have changed dramatically in the 50+ years that marine ecologist Jeremy Jackson has been studying them. Overfishing, pollution, and climate change have converted once-thriving ecosystems like coral reefs and mangrove forests into slime-covered wastelands. But Dr. Jackson has shed his former nickname of ”Dr. Doom” and now focuses on the remarkable resilience of the oceans–if only humans can give them time and space to recover. This SciCafe took place at the Museum on June 5, 2019.

The Titanosaur, Patagotitan mayorum, is the largest-known dinosaur to ever walk the Earth—weighing more than 10 African elephants. How did it get so big? How did it dominate the prehistoric landscape for millions of years? And what can this extinct animal teach us about our own future on this planet? Join paleontologist Diego Pol as he explores these questions and recounts his journey leading the team that discovered the Museum’s Titanosaur. This SciCafe took place at the Museum on May 1, 2019.

Climate change may be affecting populations around the world in different ways, but the sobering state of our shared environment should worry everyone. How can we as a global community make changes to our economic, leadership, and policy models to panel of experts discuss the complex realities of climate change and the importance of putting aside cultural and political differences to address the environmental and human costs of our changing ecosystems. This panel is moderated by Ana Luz Porzecanski, director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation at the American Museum of Natural History. Panelists include student and activist Vic Barrett; Erle Ellis, professor of geography and environmental systems at the University of Maryland; Afua Bruce, director of engineering for New America’s Public Interest Technology program; Spencer Glendon, senior fellow at the Woods Hole Research Center ; Larry McDermott, executive director of Plenty Canada and Algonquin from Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation; and Paavo Järvensivu, researcher of economic culture at the BIOS Research Unit in Helsinki, Finland. This lecture, New Science, New Solutions: Leadership, Economics, and Governance Under Climate Change, was generously supported by the Abel Shafer Public Program Fund, a fund created by the Arlene B. Coffey Trust to honor the memory of Abel Shafer. This program was presented in collaboration with the Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation.

Only a fraction of the oceans’ floors has been explored, yet scientists already know that microbial communities are thriving in the extreme and often bizarre landscapes of the deep sea. Harvard University geobiologist Jeffrey Marlowe shares findings from his expeditions to the bottom of the oceans—including investigations of microbes that consume 90 percent of the methane coming up from the seafloor—and highlights the growing need to protect these communities which we’re only just beginning to understand. To see Marlowe’s photos and videos of these rarely-seen landscapes, watch the video version of this SciCafe on the Museum's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQr790zKBW8 The full transcript of this SciCafe is available here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-scicafe-microbial-worlds-of-the-deep-sea-with-jeffrey-marlowe This program was made possible by OceanX, an initiative of the Dalio Foundation, as part of its generous support of the special exhibition Unseen Oceans and its related educational activities and public programs.

What can science reveal about bias in our education, healthcare, and other social systems? It turns out, quite a bit. This series of short talks from experts in the fields of medicine, law, education, and business explores where bias comes from, the importance of facing the fraught history of bias, and how we might benefit from striving to be “good-ish” rather than “good.” Speakers include: Dolly Chugh, professor at New York University's Stern School of Business; Marianne J. Legato, physician and director of the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine; Daniel Braunfeld, Associate Program Director for Special Projects at Facing History and Ourselves; and Jonathan Kahn, the James E. Kelly Professor of Law at Mitchell Hamline School of Law. This lecture took place at the Museum on November 28, 2018, under the title “New Science, New Solutions: The Biology of Bias and the Future of Our Species.” This lecture is generously supported by the Abel Shafer Public Program Fund, a fund created by the Arlene B. Coffey Trust to honor the memory of Abel Shafer.

For most humans, foods that have been cooked or otherwise processed are a part of everyday life. But what happens on a molecular level when you chop, mash, and sautee your meal? How has cooking given humans an evolutionary edge? And how is new research on the human microbiome challenging information listed on nutrition labels? Harvard University’s Rachel Carmody tackles these questions by studying the past, present, and potential future of how, and why, humans eat the way they do. A video version of this SciCafe is available on the Museum’s YouTube channel. For a full transcript of this podcast, please visit: goo.gl/YTXsce This SciCafe took place at the Museum on March 6, 2019. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Asteroids can teach us a lot about the origin of our solar system—but they can also pose a potential threat if they come too close to Earth. Join Harold C. Connolly Jr. for an overview of the OSIRIS-REx and Hyabusa2 spacecraft missions that are currently probing the asteroids Bennu and Ryugu—two “potentially dangerous asteroids” whose orbits around the Sun are predicted to come within 5 million miles of Earth. This Frontiers Lecture took place in the Museum's Hayden Planetarium on December 4, 2018. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund. Select Hayden Planetarium Programs are sponsored by JetBlue.

Oxytocin, the so-called “love drug,” has been the subject of ongoing debate surrounding its impact on the human brain—but what does the latest science show? Bianca Jones Marlin, a neuroscientist and postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, looks at the brains of female mice to see how oxytocin affects the behavior of mothers, and explores how this research could offer solutions for human children who suffer neglect. You can watch a video version of this SciCafe here: https://goo.gl/5tsBTx For a full transcript of this podcast, please visit: https://goo.gl/BfvAqk This SciCafe took place at the Museum on February 6, 2019. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Imagine a robot that knows without being told which tool to hand to an autoworker, or how to match hospital patients with the most appropriate medical staff. The next generation of robotics may be capable of complex tasks like these—able to learn on the job and better anticipate the needs of human coworkers. Join Julie Shah of MIT to find out how scientists are creating smarter, safer robots, and the ways these new technologies have the potential to save both money and lives. A video version of this SciCafe will be available on the Museum’s YouTube channel on Saturday, January 26. For a full transcript of this podcast, please visit amnh.org/podcasts. This SciCafe took place at the Museum on January 2, 2019. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. For information about upcoming events at the Museum, visit amnh.org/calendar.

Woolly mammoths and giant ground sloths are just a few of the strange animals that once roamed Earth, living on every habitable continent. But about 50,000 years ago, these “megafauna” began to disappear. What factors contributed to their disappearance? Why did some species survive while others did not? Ross MacPhee, curator in the Museum’s Department of Mammalogy, takes us on a journey back in time to the world of now-extinct megafauna, and explains what scientists think may have happened. Watch the video version of this SciCafe here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGYJgYZrMcE This SciCafe took place at the Museum on December 5, 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. For information about upcoming events at the Museum, visit amnh.org/calendar.

What does a carnivorous plant have in common with the design for a water-saving toilet? What about a hungry cell with surgical equipment? It may be surprising to learn that engineers still turn to the natural world for inspiration. For Tak-Sing Wong, a professor of engineering at The Pennsylvania State University, nature is a constant source of inspiration. In our November SciCafe, Wong introduces two cutting-edge technologies that have been directly modeled after natural phenomena. A video version of this SciCafe will be available on the Museum’s YouTube channel on Saturday, November 24. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. The SciCafe Series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston. SciCafe: Engineering Technologies Inspired by Nature and related activities are generously supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

In April 2018, the Gaia space telescope released its second catalog of over 1.3 billion stellar distances, helping astronomers map the Milky Way like never before. Astrophysicist Jackie Faherty takes us on a tour through her current work using Gaia data to visualize and study the galaxy. This SciCafe included brand new visualizations that let you literally fly through the galaxy. A video version with all of Faherty’s data visualizations will be available on the Museum’s YouTube channel on October 27. This SciCafe took place on October 3, 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

In celebration of International Cat Day and to honor the legacy of zoologist and conservationist Alan Rabinowitz who died August 5, we’re re-publishing a talk he gave at the Museum in 2014. Rabinowitz shares his journey to conserve the jaguar, a species that despite its past resilience, is now on a slide towards extinction. In a story of tenacity and survival, the big cat expert also reveals better strategies for saving other species, and how to save ourselves from immediate and long-term catastrophic changes to our environment. For a full transcript, visit https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-jaguar-an-indomitable-beast-with-alan-rabinowitz This lecture originally took place on September 17, 2014. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The world under the waves or the wilds of the land? Which creatures—marine or terrestrial—are the most compelling, intriguing, and inspiring? Comedian and journalist Faith Salie leads two teams of scientific luminaries in this tongue-in-cheek “debate,” featuring categories like “Next Top Predator” and “Sexy Beast.” Panelists include conservationist Carl Safina and animal behavior expert Lori Marino (Team Sea) facing off against zoologist Jarod Miller and primatologist Mireya Mayor (Team Land). Decide for yourself who reigns supreme and let us know on Twitter using the handle @AMNH Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. Science Throwdown: Sea vs. Land is made possible by OceanX, an initiative of the Dalio Foundation, as part of its generous support of the special exhibition Unseen Oceans and its related educational activities and public programs.

Swirling disks of dust and gas surround young stars, and these disks contain the building blocks for new planets. It would take 100 million years to see a planet fully form, but luckily there are plenty of planetary systems in development for us to observe. By studying and compiling “snapshots” from nearby star systems, Alycia Weinberger of the Carnegie Institute of Washington takes us on a journey back in time to the origins of planets. For a full transcript, visit https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-planetary-origin-stories-with-alycia-weinberger This Frontiers Lecture took place on May 14, 2018. For information on upcoming events at the museum, including future Frontiers Lectures, visit AMNH.org/calendar. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

While wild orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo feed on a remarkable variety of plant life, they also endure unpredictable cycles of feast and famine. Erin Vogel of Rutgers University explains how research on these primates’ diet and health may help us to better understand the evolution of early human diets, as well as provide insight into today’s global obesity epidemic. This SciCafe took place on June 6, 2018. To watch a video version of this lecture, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tforcdqDWIg For a full transcript of this podcast, visit: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-scicafe-orangutans-obesity-and-human-evolution-with-erin-vogel Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston. This SciCafe event is presented in collaboration witht The Leakey Foundation. SciCafe: Primate Palate: Orangutans, Obesity, and Human Evolution, and related activities are generously supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets in our galaxy, but how much do we understand about how they are formed? Why, for example, are some planets rocky like ours, while others like Jupiter and Saturn are gaseous? Astrophysicist Meredith Hughes of Wesleyan University explains what we know about planet formation in our own solar system, and breaks down how powerful radio telescopes are helping scientists answer questions about distant systems in our galaxy. For a full transcript, visit https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-visualizing-planets-with-radio-telescopes-with-meredith-hughes This Frontiers Lecture took place on April 9, 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

How can studying ocean life help us to create more efficient technologies? Frank Fish, professor of biology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, explores how the elegant movements of manta rays and humpback whales are inspiring new and better approaches to engineering. This SciCafe took place on May 2, 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston. SciCafe: Ocean Locomotion: Bioinspiration from the Sea, and related activities are generously supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

On April 25th, 2018, the European Space Agency’s Gaia observatory released its second data catalog, which includes the distances to a staggering 1.4 billion stars. Museum Astrophysicist Jackie Faherty explains why these new findings are important to astronomers, and how Gaia’s data can help us unlock our galaxy’s past, present, and future.

How do our brains make sense of the world our eyes see? How does attention affect our perception? And how is it possible to miss things even if they are right in front of us? In her recent SciCafe talk, Marisa Carrasco, a professor of psychology and neural science at New York University, revealed the surprising answers to these questions and demonstrated firsthand how our brains selectively process complex information. This podcast highlights some of the essential questions Carrasco explores. To experience the full presentation, watch the video version of this SciCafe on the Museum’s YouTube Channel. https://bit.ly/2rbjIgF This SciCafe took place at the Museum on April 4, 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. The SciCafe Series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

On April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into low Earth orbit. Over its 28- year career, Hubble has helped scientists make incredible discoveries, from evidence of dark energy in the early universe to comets whizzing into our solar system. Museum Astrophysics Curator Michael Shara, who worked with the Hubble mission during his time at the Space Telescope Science Institute, discusses how scientists have used Hubble to learn about the cosmos, shares the experience of Hubble’s launch and early days, and looks ahead to the future of this extraordinary telescope and its successor. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

To celebrate our new exhibition, Unseen Oceans, we’re “re-surfacing” earlier podcast episodes about our planet’s last frontier: the oceans. In this SciCafe from 2014, John Sparks, curator in the Department of Ichthyology at the Museum and curator of Unseen Oceans, and Research Associates David Gruber (CUNY) and Vincent Pieribone (John B. Pierce Laboratory at Yale), recount their expedition to the Solomon Islands, part of the Museum’s Explore21 initiative, to study biofluorescence and bioluminescence in fishes, and discuss the new technologies that are making such exploration possible. For more about marine biolfluorescence and bioluminescence, visit Unseen Oceans, open through January 6, 2019. For information and tickets, visit: https://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/unseen-oceans For a full transcript of this episode, visit https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-fishes-that-glow-exploring-biofluorescence-and-bioluminescence-in-the-sea Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. This SciCafe took place at the Museum on March 5, 2014, under the title: SciCafe: Into the Abyss, New Frontiers in Deep Sea Exploration. The Museum greatly acknowledges the Dalio Foundation for its generous support of the inaugural Explore21 expedition. The Museum’s Explore21 Initiative is generously supported by the leadership contributions of Katheryn P. and Thomas L. Kempner, Jr.; Linda R. and William E. Macaulay; and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

What does a dolphin see when it looks in the mirror? Cognitive psychologist and marine mammal scientist Diana Reiss of Hunter College explains what we already know about bottlenose dolphin intelligence and communication, and describes her teams’ efforts to unlock new anwers by using mirrors, interactive keyboards, and other technology. This James Arthur Lecture on the Evolution of the Human Brain took place at the Museum on March 6, 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. For information on upcoming events at the Museum, visit AMNH.org/calendar.

In honor of Albert Einstein’s birthday on March 14, we’re re-publishing this podcast primer on his theories of General and Special Relativity—ideas that most people have heard of but few truly understand. Astrophysicist and educator Jeffrey Bennett breaks down the basic tenets of Einstein’s theories and underscores their importance to our modern understanding of the universe. This Frontiers Lecture took place on September 21, 2015. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Scientists have only just begun to detect exoplanets—planets orbiting stars other than our Sun—but already these alien worlds have upended the rules previously believed to govern planetary systems. Astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker takes us on a journey through the surprising diversity of exoplanets, from the TRAPPIST system to “Hot Jupiter” planets, and reveals what new discoveries are on the horizon. This Frontiers Lecture took place at the Museum on February 5, 2018, under the title: Dangerous Worlds. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. Read a full transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-strange-new-worlds-with-elizabeth-tasker Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Although they’ve been extinct for about 252 million years, trilobites still manage to fascinate us today. These fossil arthropods were among the first animals to appear in large numbers, and they lived for almost 300 million years before going extinct. Assistant Curator Melanie Hopkins explains where these diverse creatures fit into the fossil record across the globe, delves into her research on trilobite growth patterns, and discusses the amazing diversity of their shapes. This SciCafe took place at the Museum on February 7, 2018. Watch a video version of this SciCafe on the Museum's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IMk__N-O-4 Read a full transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-trilobite-takedown Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Scicafe Series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston. This program is made possible by OceanX, an initiative of the Dalio Foundation, as part of its generous support of the special exhibition Unseen Oceans and its related educational activities and public programs.

Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics might be seen as early safeguards for our reliance on artificial intelligence, but as Alexa guides our homes and automated cars replace human drivers, are those Three Laws enough? In this podcast, listen in as a panel of experts led by host and moderator Neil deGrasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, discuss how A.I. is opening doors to limitless possibilities, and if we’re ready for them. You will hear from John Giannandrea of Google; Helen Greiner of the iRobot Corporation and CyPhy Works; Ruchir Puri of IBM Watson; Max Tegmark of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Michael P. Wellman, of the University of Michigan. The 2018 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate took place at the Museum on February, 13 2018. A full transcript of this podcast is available here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/2018-isaac-asimov-memorial-debate-artificial-intelligence A video version will be available on the Museum's YouTube channel tomorrow, February 16. To help other listeners find us, please subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast and leave us a review. The late Dr. Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific and influential authors of our time, was a dear friend and supporter of the American Museum of Natural History. In his memory, the Hayden Planetarium is honored to host the annual Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate — generously endowed by relatives, friends, and admirers of Isaac Asimov and his work — bringing the finest minds in the world to the Museum each year to debate pressing questions on the frontier of scientific discovery. Proceeds from ticket sales of the Isaac Asimov Memorial Debates benefit the scientific and educational programs of the Hayden Planetarium.

Artificial intelligence is growing at an astounding rate, but are we ready for the consequences? Cosmologist and MIT physics professor Max Tegmark guides us through the state of artificial intelligence today and the many paths we might take in further developing this technology. Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson moderates, with an introduction by Ward Wheeler, curator of Invertebrate Zoology and computational science at the American Museum of Natural History. This Frontiers Lecture took place in the Museum’s Hayden Planetarium on January 8, 2018. Max Tegmark will be participating in the 2018 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate happening next week at the Museum. The podcast of that event will be available on February 15.

Just in time for the Super Bowl this weekend, we’re republishing a podcast about the science behind football. Author Ainissa Ramirez, who spoke at the Museum’s SciCafe a few weeks before the New England Patriots faced off against the Seattle Seahawks at the 2015 Super Bowl, explains how prolate spheroids bounce, why Vince Lombardi was a game theorist, and why woodpeckers don’t get concussions. This podcast was originally published on January 15, 2015. Read a full transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-the-science-behind-football2 The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

On January 31, 2018, a trifecta of lunar events will cause what’s being dubbed a “Super Blue Blood Moon.” Museum astrophysicist Jackie Faherty explains what causes this phenomenon, provides us some with some viewing tips, and tells us about other cosmic events we have to look forward to in 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Did you know that some of the bacteria living inside us are essential for our health? Gastroenterologist Ari Grinspan delves into the complex world of the microbiome in the human digestive system. He explains how transplanting bacteria from healthy people to patients with a debilitating, sometimes lethal, disease has had astonishing success—despite a method of transfer that might be a little surprising. This SciCafe took place at the American Museum of Natural History on January 4, 2018. Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Scicafe Series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston. SciCafe: The Power of Poop and related activities are generously supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Black holes may be among the most mysterious phenomena in the universe, but innovations in astrophysics are bringing scientists ever closer to unlocking their secrets. Princeton University physics professors Steven Gubser and Frans Pretorius review Einstein’s theories of relativity and what they say about the existence of black holes. They explain some of the fantastical properties of black holes, and discuss how recent findings from LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, may provide the first physical evidence of these extraordinary cosmic occurrences. This Frontiers Lecture took place at the Museum’s Hayden Planetarium on December 11, 2017. Read a full transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/frontiers-lecture-demystifying-black-holes-with-steven-gubser-and-frans-pretorius Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Earth is currently experiencing an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, and it has changed dramatically in recent decades. Museum curator Joel Cracraft presents evidence that the Sixth Extinction is here. Join him as he explains where the planet’s future is heading if we continue on our current path. This SciCafe took place on December 6, 2017. To learn about upcoming SciCafe events, visit amnh.org/scicafe The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

From the farthest edge of the observable universe to the tiniest measurement of the subatomic realm, reality as we experience it is defined by scale. Astrobiologist Caleb Scharf leads a tour through the scale of the universe, and explains how scientists use what we know about scale as an entry point to asking what we don’t know about the nature of reality both here on our earth and out in the cosmos. For a full transcript of this podcast visit: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/frontiers-lecture-the-zoomable-universe-with-caleb-scharf This Frontiers Lecture took place at the Museum on November 13, 2017. For information on upcoming events at the museum, including future Frontiers Lectures, visit AMNH.org/calendar Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Who can look out into space and not ask the age-old question: Are we alone in the universe? Astronomers have already identified dozens of planets beyond the edges of our solar system which could be like our own Earth. Join astrophysicist Lisa Kaltenegger as she explains the different methods astronomers use to detect exoplanets orbiting distant stars, what these planets would need to support life, and how Earth and its range of species might serve as a Rosetta Stone—a key to detecting the existence of extraterrestrial life. This SciCafe program took place at the Museum on November 1, 2017. Watch a video version of this lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xoze-pkjxZw Read the full transcript of this lecture here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/amnh-scicafe-are-we-alone-in-the-universe To learn about upcoming SciCafe events, visit amnh.org/scicafe The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

Scott Kelly is a former Navy fighter pilot and test pilot, an engineer, and a retired NASA astronaut who over four space flights accumulated 520 days living in space, a record at the time in 2015. Talking with Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson, Captain Kelly shares a glimpse of life in the uniquely unwelcoming environment of space—and the extreme challenges of long-term spaceflight. Part of the monthly Frontiers Lecture series, this conversation took place at the Hayden Planetarium on October 16, 2017. Read a transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts For information on upcoming events at the museum, including future Frontiers Lectures, visit AMNH.org/calendar. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Some animals may be too popular for their own good—whether it’s doe-eyed slow lorises, nocturnal primates often sold as pets, or pangolins prized for meat or medicine. Despite increased enforcement, a profitable market continues to threaten these and other endangered species. Museum conservation biologist Mary Blair, who is working with colleagues to understand the dynamics of illegal wildlife trade, suggests that biologists need to team up with economists and anthropologists to better understand and address wildlife trafficking. For a full transcript of this podcast, please visit https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/joining-forces-to-address-the-threat-of-wildlife-trafficking

Anyone who has ever surprised a black bear in their own backyard is already keenly aware of the overlap between human communities and bear habitats. Rae Wynn-Grant, a conservation biologist at the Museum, offered insights into black bear behavior and what humans can do to improve relations with this wide-ranging and adaptable species at a recent SciCafe program, which took place at the Museum on October 4, 2017. For a full transcript of this podcast, please visit https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-humans-and-conflicts-with-bears-oh-my Watch a video version of this lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en8nXfD3bww To learn about upcoming SciCafe events, visit amnh.org/scicafe The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

Today, scientists announced that they have detected a spectacular collision of two neutron stars some 130 million light years away. The method of discovery is also making news: this was the first time ever that a cosmic event was perceived through both gravitational waves — ripples in space and time — and light—confirming Einstein’s general theory of relativity, which predicted that gravitational waves should travel at the speed of light. More than 1,500 scientists around the world collaborated on this breakthrough, using the U.S.-based Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory or LIGO, the Europe-based Virgo detector, and some 70 ground- and space-based observatories. Museum astrophysicist Michael Shara, who was part of the research team, explains this thrilling discovery in the latest podcast. For a full transcript of this podcast, please visit: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/a-smashup-of-neutron-stars-einstein-s-theory-of-relativity-with-astrophysics-curator-michael-shara

Just listen to little kids pester their parents, “But why?” and you know how ingrained human curiosity is. And a good thing too—it drives scientific research, inspires creativity in art and technology, and is a necessary ingredient in every form of storytelling. But have you ever been curious—about curiosity? How did we humans get to be so inquisitive and why? In this podcast, astrophysicist and best-selling author Mario Livio explores the origins and mechanisms of human curiosity. Part of the monthly Frontiers Lecture series, this talk took place at the Hayden Planetarium on September 18, 2017. For information on upcoming events at the Museum, including future Frontiers Lectures, visit AMNH.org/calendar. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

On October 4, 1957, radio operators picked up beeping sounds from the first man-made satellite ever to orbit the Earth—Sputnik, launched by the Soviet Union. The never-before heard signals ushered in the space age and changed life in space—and on Earth—forever. In this podcast marking the sixtieth anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, Museum Astrophysicist Michael Shara discusses the outsized impact of that beach-ball-sized satellite and those beeps heard ’round world. For a full transcript of this podcast, please visit: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/sputnik-sixty-years-later

Have you ever pondered that picture of earth as a pale blue dot seen from space? Then you already know something of the work of the space craft Voyager I. In 2012, that same space craft became the first man-made object to leave our solar system and enter interstellar space. Voyager I and its twin Voyager II have continued to gather data from deep space forty years after their launch in 1977. On August 23rd, 2017, PBS aired a documentary–The Farthest–Voyager in Space–that tells the story of these dogged explorers. Two weeks before, on Wednesday, August 9th, the Museum hosted a special preview screening. After which, Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson sat down with Carolyn Porco, a planetary scientist and Voyager team member. This podcast brings you their conversation.

On August 21st, 2017, most of North America will experience a solar eclipse, with a select area experiencing a total solar eclipse. To learn more about what an eclipse is, and how to safely view this event, we spoke with museum astrophysicist Jackie Faherty. A full transcript of this podcast is available here: http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/2017-solar-eclipse-facts-and-tips To learn more about eclipses and the upcoming event, watch a video of a recent panel discussion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzkVU3obUkI To see the path of totality, and more information on the eclipse, visit eclipse2017.NASA.gov. If you liked this episode, subscribe to Science at AMNH and rate us on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts. To listen to our archive of podcasts, visit AMNH.org/podcasts.

Need some extra motivation to get to the gym? Neuroscientist and exercise enthusiast Wendy A. Suzuki explains how physical aerobic activity can change your brain. Dr. Suzuki gives an overview of her research into how exercise can improve cognitive function and even demonstrates a routine you can follow along at home. This SciCafe lecture took place at the Museum on June 7, 2017. To learn about upcoming SciCafe events, visit amnh.org/scicafe. For a full transcript of this podcast, visit: http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-exercise-your-brain Watch a video version of this lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5UuBVAfZJw The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

In this podcast, join herpetologist Frank Burbrink on a journey to the remote forests of Madagascar, where his team recently discovered several new species of reptiles. Hear tales of life in the field and discover how DNA analysis helps identify new species in the lab. This SciCafe lecture took place at the Museum on May 3rd, 2017. This lecture included many original photographs, which can be seen in the video version by visiting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyfFSpEZ-vE To learn about upcoming SciCafe events, visit amnh.org/scicafe. For a full transcript of this podcast, visithttp://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-snakes-of-madagascar The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston. SciCafe: Ghost Snake Stories in Madagascar, and related activities are generously supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Into the deep or over the Moon—which is more important, intriguing, and inspiring? Explore the merits of sea vs. space across a range of judging categories with aquanauts Fabien Cousteau and Liz Bentley Magee, and astronauts Mike Massimino and Don Pettit. Hosted by comedian and journalist Faith Salie. This event took place at the Museum on April 13, 2017. For a full transcript of this podcast, visit: http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/science-throwdown-sea-vs.-space

While the public is fascinated by the idea of Earth-like planets outside of our solar system, there may be some opportunities even closer to home. In this podcast, planetary scientist Amanda Hendrix and science writer Charles Wohlforth highlight the developments and initiatives that have transformed the dream of space colonization into something that could become reality. The duo discuss groundbreaking research and make the case that Saturn’s moon Titan offers the most realistic prospect for life without support from Earth. This lecture took place at the Hayden Planetarium on April 3, 2017. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

How do trauma, poverty, and racial discrimination influence our health? What about our evolutionary history causes our bodies to respond in this way? Biological anthropologist Zaneta Thayer explores the biological mechanisms through which early life stress influences biology and health later on. This lecture took place at the Museum on April 5, 2017. To learn about upcoming SciCafe events, visit amnh.org/scicafe. For a full transcript of this podcast, visit: http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-stress-and-human-evolution Watch a video version of this lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbgFb0QP2ys The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston. This SciCafe event is presented in collaboration with The Leakey Foundation.

Cuba’s political relationship with the United States is changing, and with it, potentially it’s biodiversity. In this podcast, conservation biologist and co-curator of the exhibition ¡Cuba! , Ana Luz Porzecanski, moderates a panel on contemporary Cuba, its people, identity, and biodiversity. You will hear from historian and policy expert Julia Sweig, anthropologist Ruth Behar, environmental lawyer Dan Whittle, and Museum herpetologist and co-curator of ¡Cuba! Chris Raxworthy. This event took place at the Museum on March 9, 2017. ¡Cuba! was developed in collaboration with the Cuban National Museum of Natural History. Major funding for ¡Cuba! has been provided by the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Endowment Fund. Significant support for ¡Cuba! has been provided by the Ford Foundation. Generous support for ¡Cuba! has been provided by the Dalio Ocean Initiative. ¡Cuba! is proudly supported by JetBlue.

The fundamental laws of the universe are not what we think or perceive—they are weird, wild, and counterintuitive. We all experience the world in a way that is shielded from the deeper realities underlying everyday phenomena. The story of scientist’s efforts to uncover these hidden realities involves the greatest intellectual journey ever taken by humans. A tale ripe with drama and surprise, it has implications for our understanding of space and time, our origins, and our future, ultimately addressing that fundamental question: Why are we here? Join famed theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss for a journey through the unexpected fabric of reality, where fact is often stranger than fiction. This lecture took place at the Hayden Planetarium on March 23, 2017. Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Eating one’s own kind is a natural behavior found in thousands of species, including humans. In this podcast, Museum Research Associate Bill Schutt explains new research about this widespread behavior, such as why so many fish eat their young, and when sexual cannibalism can be an evolutionary advantage. This lecture took place at the Museum on February 17, 2017.