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 of 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 November that will satiate the curious mind.
Tooning in to conservation
Naturalist and and nature cartoonist Rosemary Mosco will discuss her unusual way of communicating science through witty, educational comics. She’ll also talk about how to use art and writing to support conservation and walk through her process of developing a cartoon. (Thursday, Nov. 2 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Hunnewell Building, Arnold Arboretum; free for members and students, $10 for non-members; all ages)
Baxter Lecture Series: Neil Swidey on Trump’s anti-immigration playbook
In a Boston Globe Magazine cover story earlier this year, Neil Swidey explored the uncanny connections between the Trump administration’s anti-immigration rhetoric and a century-old playbook by the Boston Brahmin. He will discuss these connections and their implications in a Boston Public Library program. (Thursday, Nov. 2 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; West End Branch of the Boston Public Library; free; recommended for young adults and older)
Maureen Boyle, author of Shallow Graves: The Hunt for the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer
Award-winning investigative reporter Maureen Boyle will tell the story of the New Bedford Highway Serial Killer, who was responsible for the disappearance of eleven women in 1988. Boyle was a crime reporter at the Standard Times of New Bedford during this serial murder case, which is the subject of her new book. (Thursday, Nov. 2 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.; Commonwealth Salon, Central Library; free; recommended for adults)
How climate, oceanography, and biology influence whale movement
With the recent uptick in deaths of the highly endangered North Atlantic right whale, the New England Aquarium is hosting a timely lecture by researcher Dan Pendleton about these complex animals. While right and bowhead whales are some of the largest animals on Earth, they consume some of the smallest marine organisms. The lecture will explore issues surrounding large whale conservation. (Wednesday, Nov. 8 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Simons IMAX Theatre, New England Aquarium; free; all ages)
Lecture by award-winning artist Lynda Barry
What is art? Diversely talented painter, writer, and illustrator Lynda Barry will speak on the innate creative ability of humans to work with different mediums and the biological function of what we call “the arts.” Barry’s comic strip Ernie Pook’s Comeek ran in dozens of alternative newspapers for 30 years. (Thursday, Nov. 9 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.; Boston University College of General Studies; free; all ages)
Jordan Marsh: New England’s Largest Store
From its founding in 1851 on Milk Street to the final Macy’s rebranding in 1995, New Englanders frequented this iconic chain. Author Anthony Sammarco will recount the history behind Boston’s first department store, followed by a book signing. (Sunday, Nov. 12 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Forsyth Chapel, Forest Hills Cemetery; $10; all ages)
WGBH and NECIR present a conversation on wrongful imprisonment
Hear from Victor Rosario, a Lowell man who was wrongly convicted of arson and served 32 years before prosecutors abandoned efforts last month. WGBH and the New England Center for Investigative Reporting are hosting this panel featuring experts representing diverse viewpoints about wrongful imprisonment. (Tuesday, Nov. 21 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.; WGBH Studios, Brighton; $10; all ages)
Refugee Road: An interactive event exploring the Syrian refugee crisis
Understanding the human cost of the Syrian refugee crisis halfway around the globe can be difficult. Attendees will participate in an interactive experience to provide insight into life for Syrian people. Experts from international humanitarian organization Oxfam will also share the latest developments in the crisis and what you can do to help. (Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; TripAdvisor Headquarters; free; all ages)
The Juno Mission to Jupiter: Unraveling the secrets of a giant planet
Five years after NASA launched the Juno mission, the spacecraft entered Jupiter’s orbit in 2016. Jeremy Bloxham, co-investigator on the mission and Dean of Science at Harvard University, will discuss why learning about the mysterious plant is so relevant to understanding the early history of the solar system. (Tuesday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m.; Geological Lecture Hall, Harvard Museum of Natural History; free; all ages)
Has Silicon Valley lost its humanity?
The fast pace of innovation in Silicon Valley has led to a cultural disruption that can disregard empathy, civility, and even democracy itself, argues former New York Times columnist Noam Cohen. The author of The Know-It-Alls: The Rise of Silicon Valley as a Political Powerhouse and Social Wrecking Ball will join Northeastern University assistant professor of journalism Jeff Howe for a panel on the ethics between the drive for innovation and preserving our humanity. (Thursday, Nov. 30 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.; Room 3–270, MIT; free; all ages)
