10 events that will make you smarter this month
If you’re hoping to boost your intellect or expand your world view, look no further than Boston. The Greater Boston area is home to more than 40 colleges and universities – including prestigious institutions like Harvard and MIT – and boasts some of the nation’s best and brightest doctors, writers, and scientists.
Knowledge is all around us–and we should take advantage of it. However, it can be daunting to scroll through a seemingly endless list events to find the city’s best intellectual offerings. The goal of this list is to provide a more manageable calendar of lectures, workshops, and other programs designed to make you smarter.
Here are 10 events in August that will satiate the curious mind.
Live from the Deep Ocean
Catch a glimpse of the biological diversity of previously unexplored areas in the deep sea off the coast of California. Viewers will see the seafloor down at 3,800 feet, live and in high definition from a deep-diving robotic submarine. There will also be a Q&A with experts who work with the team aboard the submarine’s operating ship. (Tuesday, Aug. 1 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.; Harvard Museum of Natural History; free; all ages)
Thoreau’s Wildflowers and Animals
This year is the bicentennial of the birth of Henry David Thoreau, who drew inspiration for his journals from the plants and animals that inhabit the natural settings of Concord. Join Geoff Wisner, writer and editor of Thoreau’s Wildflowers and Thoreau’s Animals, for a discussion on Thoreau’s profound spirituality and belief in the earth-human connection as gleaned from his nature writings. (Wednesday, Aug. 2 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.; Boston Athenaeum; free; all ages)
Talk Data to Me: Launching A Career in Data
Learn how to leverage data in your personal and professional life. Boston experts working in data science and data analytics will share how they got started in the industry and give advice on how to break in. (Thursday, Aug. 3 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; General Assembly Boston; free; all ages)
African Manatees and Sea Turtles: Conservation Challenges and Successes
The iconic African manatees and sea turtles are subject to accidental fishing and other dangers. Scientists Lucy Keith-Diagne and Tomas Diagne have studied these threatened species for more than two decades. Join the New England Aquarium Marine Conservation Action Fund Fellows as they share their experiences studying and protecting these animals. (Thursday, Aug. 3 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Simons IMAX Theater, New England Aquarium; free; all ages)
Robots vs. Disease: How Microscopes are Helping to Discover New Medicines
As scientists continue to identify more and more diseases, the pace of discovering new, life-saving drugs remains astonishingly slow. Anna Carpenter, director of the Broad Institute Imaging Platform, will discuss how automated microscopes provide new insights into cellular biology for discovering drugs. This is the last lecture in the Midsummer Nights’ Science
series for 2017. (Wednesday, Aug. 9 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Broad Institute; free; all ages)
Echoes of the Past
Step back into 1765 Boston and experience the Stamp Act protest in an interactive history game. Players can participate in theater, solve puzzles, and make choices to advance the story as they dive deep into the political intrigues of the time. (Saturday, Aug. 12 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Old State House; free; all ages)
New England Aquarium – Lobsters
Learn about the biology of this popular crustacean and the lobster fishery in New England. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with a real lobster trap, learn about sustainable lobster fishing, and even meet a live lobster. This workshop at the Boston Public Library is recommended for children ages 0-12. (Thursday, Aug. 17 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. at North End Branch; Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Charlestown Branch; free; all-ages)
Democracy Talks: How Immigration Law Affects Us All
Learn what recent changes to immigration law and policy mean for refugees, newcomers, longtime residents, and citizens. Sabrineh Ardalan, assistant director of the immigration and refugee clinical program at Harvard Law School, will talk about the upheavals and their impact. (Thursday, Aug. 17 at 7 p.m.; Watertown Free Public Library; free; all-ages)
Victory for Old Ironsides
Commemorate the USS Constitution on the 205th anniversary of her most famous victory when she earned the nickname Old Ironsides during the War of 1812. Enter the story by painting your own naval battle scene, creating your own prize urn, or stepping into the roles of the courageous cannons crew. (Friday, Aug. 25 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; USS Constitution Museum; museum admission free through Free Fun Friday; all-ages)
Tuning Your Ears with Ibby Caputo
This workshop will engage you in the close listening of several audio stories. Multimedia journalist Ibby Caputo will lead group discussion to identify elements of a compelling audio story and breakdown why story arc matters. Caputo is a content editor for several podcasts and a former reporter for WGBH’s Boston Public Radio. This workshop is recommended for audio beginners and anyone who wants to refresh their ears. (Tuesday, Aug. 29 from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.; PRX Podcast Garage; $75 for non-members, $65 for members and Harvard Ed Portal members, including any Allston-Brighton resident; all-ages)
