Capital Science Lectures

Lectures are free and open to the public and are held at the Carnegie Institution, located at 1530 P Street, NW (corner of 16th and P Streets). Information is also available as a PDF.

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  • Lectures can be sign interpreted for the hearing-impaired. Call 202.939.1121, or send an email, to request an interpreter (two weeks notice required).
  • For recorded information on the Capital Science Evenings, please call 202.328.6988 or send us an email.
  • Periodically the Carnegie Institution sends out information about its Capital Science Evenings program. If you would like to receive these notifications please send us an email . You can also register by completing the online registration form.
  • Live streaming video and archived video on demand (also check for links below) are available for many lectures.
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  • Thu, 10/21/2010 - 6:45pm
    A New Job for Telescopes: Making Solar Electricity
    Dr. J. Roger P. Angel,
    University of Arizona, Department of Astronomy. Winner of the 2010 Kavli Prize in Astrophysics, Dr. Angel is being honored for innovations in the field of telescope design that have illuminated ancient objects and events in the distant reaches of the universe.

    KAVLI LECTURE

    Roger Angel has developed concepts and technology for some of the most powerful astronomical telescopes, including the Large Binocular Telescope and the planned Giant Magellan Telescope. Today he is working on a novel telescope that harvests solar energy by focusing sunlight onto small but powerful photovoltaic cells. These “energy telescopes” are designed for mass-production in huge volume for solar farms, at a cost low enough to make unsubsidized solar electricity highly competitive.

    Co-hosted by the Carnegie institution for Science with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and the Kavli Foundation.

  • Wed, 11/03/2010 - 6:45pm
    Light and Energy, Mimicking Natural Photosynthesis
    Dr. Michael Grätzel,
    Swiss Federal institute of technology, institute of Chemical Sciences and Engineering, laboratory of photonics and interfaces. Winner of the 2009 Balzan Prize, Dr. Grätzel was honored for his many contributions to the science of new materials, in particular for his invention of a new type of photovoltaic solar cell.

    BALZAN LECTURE

    Learning from the techniques used by green plants and algae to harvest sunlight and convert it to fuels, Dr. Grätzel has developed a new solar cell that converts ambient light very efficiently into electric power and can drive electric power-producing windows and glass facades. The concepts behind these cells have also been applied to the production of hydrogen from sunlight and water, and to battery manufacturing—critical components of future energy systems.
    Co-hosted by the Carnegie institution for Science with the Embassies of italy and Switzerland, and the Balzan Foundation.

  • Thu, 12/09/2010 - 6:45pm
    The Galactic Center: Uncovering the Pulse of Our Galaxy
    Dr. Andrea Ghez,
    University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Physics and Astronomy

    Lurking at the center of our galaxy is its most massive object—a supermassive black hole. More than a quarter century ago, astronomers
    first imagined that galaxies such as our own Milky Way might harbor massive, though possibly dormant, central black holes. Definitive proof lay in assessing the distribution and motion of matter at the center of the galaxy. Based on 15 years of high- resolution imaging, Dr. Ghez’s team has moved the case for a supermassive black hole at the galactic center from a possibility to a certainty. Although the stars orbiting close to the black hole appear to be massive and young, their origins are difficult to explain. Understanding them may provide key insights into the black hole’s evolution.

  • Thu, 01/20/2011 - 6:45pm
    Stem Cells: Their Biology and Promise for Regenerative Medicine
    Dr. Elaine Fuchs,
    The Rockefeller University, Laboratory of Mammalian Cell Biology and Development. Winner of the 2009 National Medal of Science, Dr. Fuchs was honored for her contributions to the biological sciences and for her studies of mammalian skin and skin diseases.

    NATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHOLOGY MEDALS LECTURE

    Elaine Fuchs is internationally known for her research in skin biology and associated human genetic disorders, which include skin cancers and life-threatening genetic syndromes such as blistering skin disorders. Her pioneering work on stem cells of the skin has been useful in identifying stem cells in other tissues of the body. Her research holds promise for regenerative medicine, such as burn therapy, blindness and baldness.
    Co-hosted by the Carnegie institution for Science with the national Science & technology Medals Foundation and the Biotechnology institute.

  • Thu, 02/03/2011 - 6:45pm
    Three Arrangements: Exploring Our Grand Universe

    Dr. James Gates, University of Maryland, Department of Physics
    Dr. Larry Gladney, University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physics and Astronomy
    Dr. Herman White, Jr., Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

     

    Stunning new discoveries at the frontiers of physics, including the discovery that dark energy and dark matter constitute 95% of the universe, have profoundly challenged our understanding of fundamental physics. Either our view of empty space at the very smallest scales is wrong or our view that Einstein’s theory of gravitation works on large distance scales is incorrect. The Three Cosmic Tenors will touch on string theory, particle physics and mathematical astrophysics to illuminate what the universe is made of and how it is evolving.

  • Thu, 03/10/2011 - 6:45pm
    Carl Djerassi—My life

    WASHINGTON FILM PREMIERE

    Join us for a screening of the documentary film “Carl Djerassi—My Life,” a portrait of the brilliant scientist turned science-in-fiction writer Carl Djerassi. After the screening, Dr. Djerassi, inventor of the first oral contraceptive pill, will engage in a conversation with Madeleine Jacobs, Executive Director and CEO of the American Chemical Society. Co-hosted by the Carnegie institution for Science with the office of Science & technology at the Embassy of austria, the austrian Cultural Forum Washington, and the American Chemical Society.

    Co-hosted by the Carnegie institution for Science with the office of Science & technology at the Embassy of austria, the austrian Cultural Forum Washington, and the american Chemical Society.

  • Thu, 04/21/2011 - 6:45pm
    Dying Young as Late in Life as Possible: Stem Cells, Tissue Renewal and Regeneration
    Dr. Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado,
    Howard Hughes Medical institute and the University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of neurobiology & anatomy

    What good is long life without youthful vigor? When the goddess Eos fell in love with Tithonus, a mere mortal, Zeus granted him the imperfect gift of immortality: Tithonus lived forever but did not stop aging, thus condemning his existence to one of eternal decrepitude. In nature, organisms exist that can be said to remain perennially youthful, and consequently die young as late in life as possible. Learn what fundamental lessons such an organism is teaching us about our own biology.