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Harvard Science Book Talks

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Harvard Science Book Talks are a collaboration between the Harvard University Division of Science, Cabot Science Library, and Harvard Book Store.

The series features lectures by, and conversations with, authors of recently published books on science-related topics, written with a non-specialist audience in mind. Some of the authors we invite are academics or research scientists, while others are science writers and journalists. We are casting a wide net across areas of human endeavor which are grouped under the aegis of Science. We are interested in the history, philosophy, methodology, and cultures of the various science fields: their triumphs and failures, their controversies, biographies of the people involved, important discoveries, and great feats of human imagination and ingenuity. We are equally interested in in-depth explorations of various topics in a manner that makes science accessible to the curious non-specialist. Our goal is to inform, inspire, entertain, provide food for thought, and encourage audiences to engage in public discourse about science, the role that it can—and does—play in our society, and its potential for furthering human progress.

NEXT TALK: Oct 29, 2021 @6:00PM
Antonio Damasio, "Feeling & Knowing:
Making Minds Conscious"

The talks, held at Harvard Science Center, are followed by a small reception and book signing in Cabot Science Library.  On rare occasions, we may also hold special, ticketed, events in other venues. For more information and to be added to our notification list, please contact us at science_lectures@fas.harvard.edu.

Most talks are recorded: please go over to our YouTube channel or use the links, below.
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2021/22
  • Dec 1, 2021: Helen Scales, "The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean, and the Looming Threat That Imperils It"  [information coming soon] 
  • Nov 16, 2021: Alexander Rehding and Daniel Chua, "Alien Listening: Voyager's Golden Record and Music from Earth"  [information coming soon]
  • Nov 10, 2021: Ritu Raman, "Biofabrication" [information coming soon]
  • Nov 1, 2021: Marcus de Sautoy, "Thinking Better: The Art of the Shortcut in Math and Life"  [more info]
  • Oct 29, 2021: Antonio Damasio, "Feeling & Knowing: Making Minds Conscious"  [more info]
  • Oct 20, 2021: Stephon Alexander, in conversation with C. Brandon Ogbunu, "Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider's Guide to the Future of Physics"  [more info]
  • Oct 12, 2021: David Wallace, in conversation with Jacob Barandes, "Philosophy of Physics: A Very Short Introduction"  [more info]
  • Oct 5, 2021: Mary Roach, in conversation with Lindsey Fitzharris, "Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law" and "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" [more info]
  • Sep 22, 2021: Bill Schutt, in conversation with Patricia J. Wynne, "Pump: A Natural History of the Heart"  [more info]
  • Sep 13, 2021: Adam Kucharski, in conversation with William Hanage, "The Rules of Contagion: Why Things Spread—And Why They Stop" [more info]
2020/21 2019/20 2018/19 2017/18