Event Archive

Audio or video files for some of our past events will be posted here as they become available.

April 2
Audio: "Evolution and the Future of the Earth"
E.O. Wilson

World-renowned naturalist and conservationist Edward O. Wilson speaks at the National Academy of Sciences' ninth annual Arthur M. Sackler colloquium. NAS member Wilson, a professor emeritus at Harvard University and honorary curator in entomology of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, delivered a talk.

March 25
Video: "Your Inner Fish"
Dr. Neil Shubin

What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Are breasts, sweat glands, and scales related? To understand the inner workings of our bodies and the origins of diseases, scientists turn to unexpected sources like worms, flies, and even fish. Dr. Shubin tells the story of evolution by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years, long before the first creatures walked the earth.

Dr. Neil Shubin is the author of Your Inner Fish (Pantheon, 2008) and Associate Dean and Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy at the University of Chicago.

Feb. 11-12
Watch video from NAS's symposium on biodiversity policy. The symposium, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, focused on biodiversity and ecosystems and their relevance to key policy issues such as climate change and energy; trade; pests and pathogens; and food security.

Feb. 9
Video: "Brain Evolution: Lessons from Birds and Humans Who Sing and Talk"
Dr. Erich Jarvis

Whether you love listening to songbirds, enjoy singing, wonder how language evolved, or marvel at the organization of the brain, Erich Jarvis has scientific news for you. His cutting edge research on vocal learning in birds has revolutionized our understanding of vertebrate brain organization and evolution.

Dr. Erich Jarvis is an Associate Professor of Neurobiology at Duke University, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, and the recipient of the prestigious NIH Pioneer Award.