Boston supports a pretty impressive culture of lectures and lecture-like events (conferences, unconferences, forums, panel discussions, debates, symposia, festschrifts, workshops, poster sessions, mini-courses, roundtables, exhibitions, tech jams, demos, tours, etc.).  The ambitions of this list are to publish a selection of these events that is focussed on science and technology and that conveys a general sense of what the people doing the research are talking about right now.

Caveats: The list is not remotely comprehensive and selection criteria are subjective.  Courses, exhibits, and networking meetups with no special focus are not well handled. The activity level falls considerably over the summer and the winter holiday season.  Most critically:  This is a highly volatile landscape.  Important details are often changed at the last minute.  Some events have limited seating and get sold out.  Plus I make the occasional error (word of which I would be immensely grateful to receive).  For all of these reasons I strongly urge you to doublecheck the "Details" link before you head out. 

There are two routes to this list: a website and a mailing list.  The website carries events for the next month (roughly). I add to it several times a week. The list goes out once a week, usually Sunday nights, and carries events for the next eight days.  You can subscribe to it here.

Blue boxes represent events advertised as child- friendly; yellow boxes, multi-day events.  I occasionally link to the site of the speaker's lab.  Researchers often see these sites as their preferred medium of communication with the public and put a lot of work into them.  They can carry exceptionally well-posed statements of current issues.

Please let me know if I ought to be monitoring somebody not on my list of sources.

I would appreciate your mentioning this list to people with compatible interests.

-- Fred Hapgood

Last update: 19.1857

Selected Groups, Clubs, Societies, & Meetups
Selected New England Museums
DIY-focused organizations & resources

Monday, May 20

8:30 - 5p.   "Social Media for Nonprofits."   A conference.   Microsoft NERD Center, One Memorial Drive.   Details.

12:15p.   "What is There to be Afraid of? The Neural Circuitry of Predator and Social fear."   Cornelius Gross.   HMS:  Goldenson 122, 220 Longwood Avenue.  Details.*

2p.   "From Camera Array to CrowdCam."   Tali Dekel.   MIT:  Stata Center (32) D507.   Details.

4p.   "Cancer: Insights from Simple Mathematical Models."   Richard Durrett.   Harvard:  Program for Evolutionary Dynamics, One Brattle Square.   Details.

4p.   "Cosmological Galaxy Simulations Compared with Observations."   Joel Primack.   MIT:  37-252 (Marlar Lounge).   Details.

4p.   "Engineering Algorithms for Large Data Sets."   Peter Sanders.   MIT:  Stata Center, Star Conf Rm. (32-D463)   Details.

7p.   "Terminator 2: Judgement Day."   A Coolidge Science on Screen Presentation.   Thad Starner will comment on the issues raised by the film with respect to wearable computing and augmented reality.   Coolidge Corner, 290 Harvard St, Brookline.   Details.

7p.   "The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code."   Margalit Fox.   An author's event.   Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave.   Details.

Tuesday, May 21

1 - 5p.   "Senses on the Edge: Extraordinary Sensory Systems in the Animal Kingdom."   A symposium.   HMS:  Tosteson Medical Education Center, Walter Amphitheater, 260 Longwood Avenue.   Details.*

1 - 2:30p.   "Virtual Networking Cloud Resources: Vision, Algorithms, Threats."   Stefan Schmid.   MIT:  Stata (32) G575.   Details.

2 - 3:30p.   "Computing with Chunks."   Justin Mazzola Paluska.   A thesis defense.   The Chunk Project.   MIT:  Stata Center, Kiva Seminar Rm (32-G449. )  Details.

2p.   "Visual Features for Scene Recognition and Reorientation."   Krista A. Ehinger.   A thesis defense.   MIT:  46-3310.   Details.

4p.   "Time-Domain Informatics and Smart Data Analytics in the Era of Large Astronomical Surveys."   Hakeem Oluseyi.   MIT:  37-252 (Marlar Lounge).   Details.

6p.   "The Scientist Within."   Richard Holmes.   Radcliffw Gymnasium, 10 Garden St.   Details.

6:30 - 9:30p.   The Internet of Things - a new frontier for entrepeneurs.   An EntreTech forum.   1000 Winter St, Suite 4000 (North Entrance).   Details & Registration.

7p.   "Social and Neural Influences on the Adolescent Experience."   Alea Skwara.   A Brain Cafe Event.   Middlesex Cafe, 315 Massachusetts Ave.   Details.

7p.   "The Philadelphia Chromosome: A Mutant Gene and the Quest to Cure Cancer at the Genetic Level."   Jessica Wapner.   An author's event.   Harvard Book Store:  1256 Massachusetts Ave.   Details.

7:30p.   "A Wolff in Sheep's Clothing or a Case of Cry Wolff? Trabecular Bone Adaptation and More."   Meir Barak.   Concord Field Station, 100 Old Causeway Rd., Bedford.   Details & RSVP.

7:30p.   "History Preserved: Ancient Israel and the Dead Sea Scrolls."   Debora Ben Ami, Collection Curator, Israel Antiquities Authority, and Pnina Shor, Dead Sea Scrolls Projects, Israel Antiquities Authority.   Museum of Science, Cahners Theater.   Details.

Wednesday, May 22

Noon.   "A Novel Framework for a Neural Architecture of Language."   Evelina Fedorenko.   Martinos Center: 149 13th St., Charleston Navy Yard, seminar Rm 2204.   Details.

4 - 6p.   "The Deans' Health and Life Sciences Challenge."   Harvard:  Innovation Lab, 125 Western Ave, Allston.   Details.   More Details.

4 - 6p.   "The Future of Bioethics."   Dan W. Brock.   HMS:  Tosteson Medical Education Center, Carl W. Walter Amphitheater, 260 Longwood Ave.   Details & RSVP.

7p.   "Biologically-Inspired Computational Models of Vision."   A Meetup.   Talks by Gabriel Kreiman and Tomaso Poggio.   Cambridge Innovation Center, 5th Floor, Havana Conference Room, One Broadway, Cambridge.   Details.

7 - 9p.   "Using Geophysics To Explore Archaeological Sites At Parks In The Northeast Region Of The National Park Service."   William Griswold, Archaeologist, National Park Service.   Weston Observatory, 381 Concord Rd, Weston.   Details.

7:30 - 9:30p.   "Jewish and Christian Origins as Revealed by the Dead Sea Scrolls."   A forum.   Museum of Science, Cahners Theater.   Details.

Thursday, May 23

7a - 4:30p.   "Sustaining Coastal Cities Conference."   Northeastern:  Curry Student Center Ballroom.   Details.

9a - 12:30p.   "COMSOL Workshop."   Exploring a proprietary physics simulator.   COMSOL, Inc., 1 New England Executive Park, Suite 350, Burlington.   Details & Registration.

12:30p.   "Plant Structure and Function - from Biological to Bio-Inspired Materials."   Ingo Burgert.   MIT:  1-131.   Details.

3p.   "The Use of Biomass Residues for Generation of Solid and Gaseous Fuels."   Sergio Peres.   MIT:  NW17-218.   Details.

4 - 6p.   "CO2 in Biological Systems."   Cathy Drennan.   MIT:  68-181.   Details.

4:30p.   "Mechanobiology and Developmental Control."   Donald Ingber.   HMS:  Folkman Auditorium, Enders Building.   Details.*

Friday, May 24

11 - 12:30p.   "The Smallest Man-Made Jet Engine."   Alexander Solovev.   MIT:  56-154.   Details.   Access restricted to the MIT community.

3p.   "Southern Ocean Biogeochemistry During Ice Ages."   Danny Sigman.   Sigman Lab.   MIT:  E25-605 (Conf Rm).   Details.

6p.   "Letters to a Young Scientist."   Edward O. Wilson.   Harvard:  Geological Museum Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford St.   Details & Tickets.

Saturday, May 25

Noon.   "Lifting Water--The History Of Water Pumping."   Marcis Kempe, MWRA engineer.   Waterworks Museum, 2450 Beacon St.   Details.

3:30p.   "STUNG! On Jellyfish Blooms and the Future of the Ocean."   Lisa-Ann Gershwin.   Harvard Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St.   Details.

Tuesday, May 28

12:30p.   "Technologies of Choice? – ICTs, development and the capabilities approach."   A Berkman Luncheon.   Dorothea Kleine.   Webcast details.   Podcast details.   RSVP required for lunch.   Harvard: Berkman Center for the Internet and Society, 23 Everett St, 2nd Flr.   Details & RSVP.

4p.   "Plasticity in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Schizophrenia."   Z. J. Daskalakis.   McLean Hospital, deMarneffe Building Room 132, 115 Mill Street, Belmont.   Details.

4:30p.   "Costs and Benefits of Cognitive Control for Language Processing."   Sharon Thompson-Schill.   MIT:  46-3189 (MIBR Seminar Room).   Details.

Wednesday, May 29

7 - 9p.   "The Alien Worlds of Hydrothermal Vents."   Heather Olins.   Girguis lab.   Harvard:  Pfizer Hall, 12 Oxford St.   Details.

7p.   "The D-Lab at MIT: The People's Engineering Team."   Amy Smith.   Robbins Library, 700 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington.   Details.

Thursday, May 30

7 - 8:30p.   "The Physical Fitness of Leaves."   Steven Vogel.   Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Bldg.   Details.

Friday, May 31

10a.   "Tour of Verizon’s Telephone Pioneers Museum."   6 Bowdoin St.   Details.

7:30a - 5:30p.   "Infectious Diseases."   A conference.   The Lantana Conference Center, Randolph.   Details & Registration.

June 1 - 2.   "Angel 5 Hackathon."   Microsoft NERD, One Memorial Drive.   Details & Registration.

Saturday, June 1

9a.  "Identifying the 25 Most Common Trees in Boston."   Kyle Port.   Arnold Arboretum:  Hunnewell Bldg.   Details & Registration.

10a.   "Fire Alarm Office Museum Tour."   59 The Fenway.   Details.

Sunday, June 2

1 - 3p.   "Collections Up Close: Rhododendron Ramble."   Arnold Arboretum, Rhododendron Hill.   Details.

1 - 4p.   "Flowers Sprout FIRST."   A celebration of the FIRST 2012-2013 competitive robotics challenge.   MIT Museum, 265 Massachusetts Ave.   Details.

June 4 - 5.   "Rhythmic Dynamics and Cognition."   A symposium.   MIT:  46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium).   Details & Registration.   Poster.

Tuesday, June 4

1p.   "From Seed to Tree: Tour of the Dana Greenhouse."   Arnold Arboretum.   Details & Registration.

Wednesday, June 5

7 - 8:30p.   "Flash Night: Learning to Socialize with Fireflies."   Sara Lewis.   Arnold Arboretum, Hunnewell Bldg, 125 Arborway.   Details & Registration.

Thursday, June 6

8:15 - 6:30p.   "Nanotherapeutics & Diagnostics."   A symposium.   Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur.   Details & Registration.

7p.   "Chimpanzee Futures in a Crowded World: Lessons from Western Uganda."   Richard Wrangham and Elizabeth Ross.   Harvard:  Peabody Museum, 11 Divinity Ave.   Details.

7p.   "Concord’s Connected Community Platform: Smart Grid, GIS and Broadband."   Mark Howell, Chief Information Officer, Concord.   Verizon Technology Center, 60 Sylvan Road, Waltham.   Details.

7p.   "The Surprisingly Familiar Family Lives of Sperm Whales."   Shane Gero.   Boston Aquarium, Harborside Learning lab.   Details.

June 10 - 11.   "New Avenues for Brain Repair: Programming and Reprogramming the Central Nervous System."   Harvard:  Northwest Science Bldg, 52 Oxford St.   Details.

Tuesday, June 11

6 - 8p.   "Woody Vines for the Garden."   Jen Kettell.   Arnold Arboretum:  Leventritt Garden (meet at Dana Greenhouse Classroom).   Details & Registration.

7p.   "The Human Spark: The Science of Human Development."   Jerome Kagan.   Harvard Book Store, 1256 Massachusetts Ave.   Details.

Wednesday, June 12

6p.   "Reward and Empathy: Connections, Disconnections."   Bhisma Chakrabarti.   MIT:  46-3002 (Singleton Auditorium).   Details.

7 - 9p.   "Living Factories: Engineering Cells to Manufacture Molecules."   Kevin Bonham.   Harvard:  Pfizer Hall, 12 Oxford St.   Details.

Thursday, June 13

5 - 7p.   "Regulation of CO2 metabolism, responses to CO2, CO2 Sensitivity."   Jeff Way.   MIT:  68-181.   Details.

6:30p.   "Silicon Nanowires, Enabling Low Cost Photovoltaic Electricity."   Marcie Black, Bandgap Engineering.   Background reading.   Lincoln Laboratory, 244 Wood Street, Lexington.   Details.

7p.   "Deciphering Shark Secrets: Preparing New Species for the Giant Ocean Tank."   Barbara Bailey, Assistant Curator of Husbandry, New England Aquarium.   New England Aquarium, Harborside Learning lab.   Details & Registration.

June 14 - 16.  "@party."   At an @party, AKA demoparty, attendees create, collaboratively and individually, realtime-rendered noninteractive demonstrations of coding, musical, and artistic prowess.   MIT: Stata Center (32).   Details.

June 16 - 19.   "Learning International Networks Consortium."   A conference.   MIT:  Various locations.   Details.

Sunday, June 16

10 - 4p.   "Printing Arts Fair."   Museum of Printing, 800 Massachusetts Ave, North Andover.   Details.

3 - 4:30p.   "A Sensory Stroll."   Kevin Schofield, Arboretum Docent.   Suitable for blind or low vision visitors.   Arndold Arboretum:  Arborway Gate.   Details.

Tuesday, June 18

9:30 - 12:30p.   "Ericaceae Family Focus."   Carol Govan.   New England Wild Flower Society's Garden in the Woods, 180 Hemenway Road, North Framingham.   Details & Registration.

4p.   "Neuroimmune Changes in Autism and Schizophrenia."   Karoly Mirnics.   McLean Hospital, deMarneffe Building Room 132, 115 Mill Street, Belmont.   Details.

7 - 8p.   "Law of the Locusts: What Insect Swarms Teach Us about Cannibalism, Aging, and Human Obesity."   Steve Simpson.   Harvard:  Geological Lecture Hall, 24 Oxford St.   Details.

Sunday, June 23

3:30p.   "The Human Shore: Seacoasts in History."   John Gillis.   Harvard:  Museum of Natural History, 26 Oxford St.   Details.

2:30 - 4p.   "Reveal the Hidden Forest: Fungi at the Arboretum."   Susan Goldhor, President, Boston Mycological Club and Joel Kershner, Arboretum Field Studies Guide and BMC member.   Arnold Arboreteum:  Bussey St. Gate.   Details & Registration.

*Asterisks are assigned to Harvard Medical Area events that are NOT explicitly labelled "Open to the Public". Access to these can be confusing. Some are open. At others you will be asked to show ID or prove that you are an actual Crimson person. Sometimes you need to appear on a list of pre- registered guests sent to the door by the sponsoring authority. Typically announcements do not specify the procedures that govern in that case. (If they do, I cite the procedure in my text.) A risk- adverse person interested in a Medical area event carrying an asterisk and who has no Harvard affiliation and no experience with the series or event sponsor might be advised to click on the 'details' link, find an email address associated with the sponsor, and ask about procedures.

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