Town Hall Seattle Science Series
345 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsThe Science series presents cutting-edge research about biology, physics, chemistry, ecology, geology, astronomy, and more. These events appeal to many different levels of expertise, from grade school students to career scientists. With a range of relevant applications, including medicine, the environment, and technology, this series expands our thinking and our possibilities.
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Episodes
Peter Wadhams with Brady Piñero Walkinshaw
October 16, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBPeter Wadhams, one of the world’s most experienced sea ice scientists, brings a report from the frontline of planetary change in his new book A Farewell to Ice. Wadhams shows how sea ice is the ‘canary in the mine’ of planetary climate change. He describes how it forms and the vital role it plays in reflecting solar heat back into space and providing an ‘air conditioning’ system for the planet. He shows how a series of rapid feedbacks in the Arctic region are accelerating change there more ...
23: Peter Wadhams with Brady Piñero Walkinshaw
October 16, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 58.1 MBPeter Wadhams, one of the world’s most experienced sea ice scientists, brings a report from the frontline of planetary change in his new book A Farewell to Ice. Wadhams shows how sea ice is the ‘canary in the mine’ of planetary climate change. He describes how it forms and the vital role it plays in reflecting solar heat back into space and providing an ‘air conditioning’ system for the planet. He shows how a series of rapid feedbacks in the Arctic region are accelerating change there more ...
22: Tali Sharot
October 09, 2017 05:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBIn The Influential Mind, neuroscientist Tali Sharot takes us on a thrilling exploration of the nature of influence. We affect others just by moving through the world―from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? Sharot reveals that many of our instincts―from relying on facts and figures to shape opinions, to insisting others are wrong or attempting to exert control―are ineffective, because they are incompatible with how pe...
Tali Sharot
October 09, 2017 05:00 - 59 minutes - 54.7 MBIn The Influential Mind, neuroscientist Tali Sharot takes us on a thrilling exploration of the nature of influence. We affect others just by moving through the world―from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better? Sharot reveals that many of our instincts―from relying on facts and figures to shape opinions, to insisting others are wrong or attempting to exert control―are ineffective, because they are incompatible with how pe...
21: Max Tegmark
October 02, 2017 18:29 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBWhat does is it mean to be human in a world where A.I. is transforming war, crime, justice, and jobs? We stand at the beginning of a new era. What was once science fiction is fast becoming reality. Max Tegmark, a professor of physics at MIT and president of the Future of Life Institute, takes readers to the heart of thinking about A.I. and the human condition in his new book Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. How can we grow our prosperity through automation, with...
Max Tegmark
October 02, 2017 18:29 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBWhat does is it mean to be human in a world where A.I. is transforming war, crime, justice, and jobs? We stand at the beginning of a new era. What was once science fiction is fast becoming reality. Max Tegmark, a professor of physics at MIT and president of the Future of Life Institute, takes readers to the heart of thinking about A.I. and the human condition in his new book Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. How can we grow our prosperity through automation, with...
Jonathan White
September 18, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBMany of us in the Pacific Northwest feel a profound connection to the water, and Seattle-based author Jonathan White is no exception. In his book Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean, White uses his surfing and sailing adventures across the globe to take us on a journey of scientific inquiry. As a water enthusiast, he’s traveled to five continents to experience the largest, fastest, scariest and most amazing tides in the world. As a conservationist, White is the founder and former di...
20: Jonathan White
September 18, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBMany of us in the Pacific Northwest feel a profound connection to the water, and Seattle-based author Jonathan White is no exception. In his book Tides: The Science and Spirit of the Ocean, White uses his surfing and sailing adventures across the globe to take us on a journey of scientific inquiry. As a water enthusiast, he’s traveled to five continents to experience the largest, fastest, scariest and most amazing tides in the world. As a conservationist, White is the founder and former di...
Sam Kean
September 11, 2017 05:00 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBWhat’s invisible, ubiquitous, and has an epic story to tell? New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean provides us with a curious history of the air we breathe. In a tale as artful as it is scientific, Kean’s Caesar’s Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us, places air center stage in the tale of Earth’s and humanity’s existence. Join Kean to trace the origins and ingredients of our atmosphere–how the alchemy of air reshaped our continents, steered human progress, powered re...
19: Sam Kean
September 11, 2017 05:00 - 53 minutes - 49.1 MBWhat’s invisible, ubiquitous, and has an epic story to tell? New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean provides us with a curious history of the air we breathe. In a tale as artful as it is scientific, Kean’s Caesar’s Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us, places air center stage in the tale of Earth’s and humanity’s existence. Join Kean to trace the origins and ingredients of our atmosphere–how the alchemy of air reshaped our continents, steered human progress, powered re...
Suzanne O’Sullivan
September 04, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBMost of us don’t question a fluttery feeling in our chests when we’re excited or sweating armpits as we make a public speech. We accept these connections between our emotions and physical bodies. But according to neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan, the human body’s reactions to emotions can be much more severe. Up to a third of people go to the doctor with symptoms that cannot be medically explained; and often doctors suspect an emotional cause. O’Sullivan believes that “psychosomatic disorders ...
18: Suzanne O’Sullivan
September 04, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBMost of us don’t question a fluttery feeling in our chests when we’re excited or sweating armpits as we make a public speech. We accept these connections between our emotions and physical bodies. But according to neurologist Suzanne O’Sullivan, the human body’s reactions to emotions can be much more severe. Up to a third of people go to the doctor with symptoms that cannot be medically explained; and often doctors suspect an emotional cause. O’Sullivan believes that “psychosomatic disorders ...
Alan Burdick
August 28, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBAre we born into time? Or is time born into us? Most people seem to agree that our experience of time changes depending on our mood or circumstance. “Time flies when you’re having fun” (as the saying goes), while in times of difficulty or boredom, each minute may seem to creep slowly by. In Why Time Flies: A Mostly Scientific Exploration, science writer Alan Burdick (The New Yorker) takes readers on a witty and meditative exploration of the human relationship with time. “This book blew my mi...
17: Alan Burdick
August 28, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.8 MBAre we born into time? Or is time born into us? Most people seem to agree that our experience of time changes depending on our mood or circumstance. “Time flies when you’re having fun” (as the saying goes), while in times of difficulty or boredom, each minute may seem to creep slowly by. In Why Time Flies: A Mostly Scientific Exploration, science writer Alan Burdick (The New Yorker) takes readers on a witty and meditative exploration of the human relationship with time. “This book blew my mi...
Walter Murch and Lawrence Weschler
August 21, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBIn the film world, Walter Murch is undeniably successful. The three-time Academy Award winner is world-renowned for his work on films like Apocalypse Now, The Godfather trilogy, and The English Patient. But this is only one aspect of his multifaceted interests. As an amateur astrophysicist, Murch has worked to rehabilitate a long-discredited 18th century theory called Titius Bode, which considers how planets and moons array themselves in gravitational systems across the universe. As an outsi...
16: Walter Murch and Lawrence Weschler
August 21, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 78.6 MBIn the film world, Walter Murch is undeniably successful. The three-time Academy Award winner is world-renowned for his work on films like Apocalypse Now, The Godfather trilogy, and The English Patient. But this is only one aspect of his multifaceted interests. As an amateur astrophysicist, Murch has worked to rehabilitate a long-discredited 18th century theory called Titius Bode, which considers how planets and moons array themselves in gravitational systems across the universe. As an outsi...
15: Richard Yonck
August 14, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBImagine a robotic stuffed animal that responds to a child’s emotional state or an electronic ad that changes based on the facial expression of the viewer. This event is the book launch for Heart of the Machine: Our Future in a World of Artificial Emotional Intelligence by local author and futurist Richard Yonck, in which he explores technological advancements that could give computers the ability to recognize, respond to, and influence emotions. Recent movies like Her and Ex Machina, explore...
Richard Yonck
August 14, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBImagine a robotic stuffed animal that responds to a child’s emotional state or an electronic ad that changes based on the facial expression of the viewer. This event is the book launch for Heart of the Machine: Our Future in a World of Artificial Emotional Intelligence by local author and futurist Richard Yonck, in which he explores technological advancements that could give computers the ability to recognize, respond to, and influence emotions. Recent movies like Her and Ex Machina, explore...
14: John All
August 07, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBIn May 2014, mountaineer and scientist John All fell into a 70-foot crevasse near Everest. Though badly injured—fifteen broken bones, internal bleeding, and a severely dislocated shoulder—he took a series of videos as he struggled to climb out through the ice and snow. They went viral, appearing in newscasts all over the world and on media websites from People Magazine to National Geographic. NPR called him “a badass for science.” Yet this is only one of many adventures this Western Washingt...
John All
August 07, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.9 MBIn May 2014, mountaineer and scientist John All fell into a 70-foot crevasse near Everest. Though badly injured—fifteen broken bones, internal bleeding, and a severely dislocated shoulder—he took a series of videos as he struggled to climb out through the ice and snow. They went viral, appearing in newscasts all over the world and on media websites from People Magazine to National Geographic. NPR called him “a badass for science.” Yet this is only one of many adventures this Western Washingt...
ISB Panel
July 31, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBSeattle’s Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) is revolutionizing science with a powerful approach to predict and prevent disease, and enable a sustainable environment. Explore the cross-disciplinary and collaborative approach of systems biology and how it is applied in the exploration of new frontiers in biology and medicine. This moderated forum will provide a focused discussion on the advances in major areas that affect human health, at both an individual and global level. Panelists incl...
13: ISB Panel
July 31, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 61.7 MBSeattle’s Institute for Systems Biology (ISB) is revolutionizing science with a powerful approach to predict and prevent disease, and enable a sustainable environment. Explore the cross-disciplinary and collaborative approach of systems biology and how it is applied in the exploration of new frontiers in biology and medicine. This moderated forum will provide a focused discussion on the advances in major areas that affect human health, at both an individual and global level. Panelists incl...
David Haskell
July 24, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBOf his writing, David Haskell says, “I’ve turned my ear to trees, listening to their ‘songs.’ I’m writing about what tree acoustics can teach us, with a particular focus on biological networks.” His award-winning The Forest Unseen won praise for eloquent writing and deep engagement with the natural world. Now, in The Songs of Trees, Haskell brings his powers of observation to the biological networks that surround all species, including humans. Selecting a dozen trees around the world, he exp...
12: David Haskell
July 24, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 67.1 MBOf his writing, David Haskell says, “I’ve turned my ear to trees, listening to their ‘songs.’ I’m writing about what tree acoustics can teach us, with a particular focus on biological networks.” His award-winning The Forest Unseen won praise for eloquent writing and deep engagement with the natural world. Now, in The Songs of Trees, Haskell brings his powers of observation to the biological networks that surround all species, including humans. Selecting a dozen trees around the world, he exp...
11: Eugenia Cheng
July 17, 2017 05:00 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBEugenia Cheng is Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sheffield. As one of few women in her field, Cheng aims to reach a wide audience about all things math and dispel the phobia that many people feel regarding the subject. Her popular Youtube videos explaining a variety of math topics have been viewed more than 700,000 times. In Beyond Infinity, Cheng takes readers on an entertaining journey from math at its most el...
Eugenia Cheng
July 17, 2017 05:00 - 44 minutes - 40.4 MBEugenia Cheng is Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an Honorary Fellow of the University of Sheffield. As one of few women in her field, Cheng aims to reach a wide audience about all things math and dispel the phobia that many people feel regarding the subject. Her popular Youtube videos explaining a variety of math topics have been viewed more than 700,000 times. In Beyond Infinity, Cheng takes readers on an entertaining journey from math at its most el...
10: Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths
July 10, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBLook before you leap. We’ve all heard this piece of advice. But is it helpful? Whether considering trivial matters, like trying to find a parking spot or weighing life-changing decisions like choosing a spouse, it’s difficult to find the balance between passing up a great opportunity or making a choice too quickly. Author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths have teamed up to bring you a statistically tested formula for decision-making. In Algorithms to Live By: The Computer...
Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths
July 10, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 65.9 MBLook before you leap. We’ve all heard this piece of advice. But is it helpful? Whether considering trivial matters, like trying to find a parking spot or weighing life-changing decisions like choosing a spouse, it’s difficult to find the balance between passing up a great opportunity or making a choice too quickly. Author Brian Christian and cognitive scientist Tom Griffiths have teamed up to bring you a statistically tested formula for decision-making. In Algorithms to Live By: The Computer...
9: Lawrence Krauss
July 03, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBAward-winning theoretical physicist and bestselling author Lawrence Krauss (The Physics of Star Trek, A Universe From Nothing) is not afraid to court controversy. In 2015, he made waves when he published an essay in The New Yorker with the headline: “All Scientists Should be Militant Atheists.” He also stormed out of a 2013 London debate entitled: “Islam or Atheism: Which Makes More Sense?” because the audience was segregated by gender in keeping with Muslim traditions. Krauss found this unt...
Lawrence Krauss
July 03, 2017 05:00 - 1 hour - 75.9 MBAward-winning theoretical physicist and bestselling author Lawrence Krauss (The Physics of Star Trek, A Universe From Nothing) is not afraid to court controversy. In 2015, he made waves when he published an essay in The New Yorker with the headline: “All Scientists Should be Militant Atheists.” He also stormed out of a 2013 London debate entitled: “Islam or Atheism: Which Makes More Sense?” because the audience was segregated by gender in keeping with Muslim traditions. Krauss found this unt...
8: Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich
June 26, 2017 05:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBAre you on board to join Jeff Bezos as a tourist in outer space? It may take a while to hit the mainstream, but in the meantime, scientists and Intergalactic Travel Bureau members Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich have teamed up to create an illustrated guide for your trip. Publisher’s Weekly calls it “An ideal introduction to the solar system for younger readers and casual space fans who crave an imaginative trip into the possibilities of real space tourism.” They encourage readers to imagine ...
Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich
June 26, 2017 05:00 - 46 minutes - 42.2 MBAre you on board to join Jeff Bezos as a tourist in outer space? It may take a while to hit the mainstream, but in the meantime, scientists and Intergalactic Travel Bureau members Olivia Koski and Jana Grcevich have teamed up to create an illustrated guide for your trip. Publisher’s Weekly calls it “An ideal introduction to the solar system for younger readers and casual space fans who crave an imaginative trip into the possibilities of real space tourism.” They encourage readers to imagine ...
7: Langdon Cook
June 19, 2017 05:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBSeattle-based writer Langdon Cook writes about wild foods and the outdoors. His last book, The Mushroom Hunters, won the Pacific Northwest Book Award and was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. His work has been compared to such luminaries as Susan Orlean, Michael Pollan, and Hunter Thompson. This is the book launch for Upstream: Searching for Wild Salmon, from River to Table, which presents an in-depth and timely look at salmon—one of the last wild foods on our table. Cook intro...
Langdon Cook
June 19, 2017 05:00 - 59 minutes - 54.3 MBSeattle-based writer Langdon Cook writes about wild foods and the outdoors. His last book, The Mushroom Hunters, won the Pacific Northwest Book Award and was a finalist for the Washington State Book Award. His work has been compared to such luminaries as Susan Orlean, Michael Pollan, and Hunter Thompson. This is the book launch for Upstream: Searching for Wild Salmon, from River to Table, which presents an in-depth and timely look at salmon—one of the last wild foods on our table. Cook intro...
6: Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson
June 12, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBPHD Comics creator Jorge Cham and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson have teamed up on We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe, an entertaining and lucid explanation of particle physics—what little we know of it. Exploring the biggest unknowns in the universe, they ponder why these things are still mysteries, and what a lot of smart people are doing to figure out the answers (or at least ask the right questions). They also work to demystify many complicated things we do know about, ...
Jorge Cham and Daniel Whiteson
June 12, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 60.9 MBPHD Comics creator Jorge Cham and particle physicist Daniel Whiteson have teamed up on We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe, an entertaining and lucid explanation of particle physics—what little we know of it. Exploring the biggest unknowns in the universe, they ponder why these things are still mysteries, and what a lot of smart people are doing to figure out the answers (or at least ask the right questions). They also work to demystify many complicated things we do know about, ...
5: Elisabeth Rosenthal
June 05, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBOur country’s healthcare system needs serious work—but how did it get so bad? In An American Sickness, award-winning New York Times reporter Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal breaks down the nature of this affliction, explaining the symptoms, identifying the causes, and outlining a course of treatment. Rosenthal shares strategies on how to decode medical doublespeak, avoid the pitfalls of the pharmaceuticals racket, and get the care you need. She discusses the doctor-patient relationship, explaining w...
Elisabeth Rosenthal
June 05, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 75.8 MBOur country’s healthcare system needs serious work—but how did it get so bad? In An American Sickness, award-winning New York Times reporter Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal breaks down the nature of this affliction, explaining the symptoms, identifying the causes, and outlining a course of treatment. Rosenthal shares strategies on how to decode medical doublespeak, avoid the pitfalls of the pharmaceuticals racket, and get the care you need. She discusses the doctor-patient relationship, explaining w...
4: Paul Hawken
May 29, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBIn the face of widespread fear and apathy, Paul Hawken, an environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author, pulled together an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and activists (including Michael Pollan and Elizabeth Kolbert) to compile Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. The result is a set of 100 realistic techniques and methods—some well known, others obscure—to address climate change. Hawken aims to prove that the solutions exist, ...
Paul Hawken
May 29, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 74.5 MBIn the face of widespread fear and apathy, Paul Hawken, an environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author, pulled together an international coalition of researchers, professionals, and activists (including Michael Pollan and Elizabeth Kolbert) to compile Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming. The result is a set of 100 realistic techniques and methods—some well known, others obscure—to address climate change. Hawken aims to prove that the solutions exist, ...
3: Siddhartha Mukherjee with Steve Davis
May 22, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBPulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee returns to Town Hall to discuss his newest book The Gene: An Intimate History. Mukherjee weaves together exhaustive scientific research with intimate biographical stories to explore human heredity. Using the story of his family’s history of mental illness, Mukherjee translates the science of genetics from the laboratory to the real world. He describes the centuries of research and experimentation—from Aristotle and Pythagoras to Watson and F...
Siddhartha Mukherjee with Steve Davis
May 22, 2017 04:00 - 1 hour - 56.4 MBPulitzer Prize-winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee returns to Town Hall to discuss his newest book The Gene: An Intimate History. Mukherjee weaves together exhaustive scientific research with intimate biographical stories to explore human heredity. Using the story of his family’s history of mental illness, Mukherjee translates the science of genetics from the laboratory to the real world. He describes the centuries of research and experimentation—from Aristotle and Pythagoras to Watson and F...
2: David R. Montgomery
May 15, 2017 10:00 - 1 hour - 66 MBThis event celebrates the book launch for Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David R. Montgomery, a former Town Hall Scholar in Residence and a beloved local geologist. Montgomery tracks the fates of once-great civilizations that sank into poverty after destroying the fertility of their land. Today, despite this correlation, soil degradation remains the least recognized, yet most solvable, crisis humanity faces. Montgomery takes us on a journey around the world to visit ...
David R. Montgomery
May 15, 2017 10:00 - 1 hour - 66 MBThis event celebrates the book launch for Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life by David R. Montgomery, a former Town Hall Scholar in Residence and a beloved local geologist. Montgomery tracks the fates of once-great civilizations that sank into poverty after destroying the fertility of their land. Today, despite this correlation, soil degradation remains the least recognized, yet most solvable, crisis humanity faces. Montgomery takes us on a journey around the world to visit ...
Anurag Agrawal
May 11, 2017 20:56 - 1 hour - 100 MBThis is the story of a migrating butterfly, a poisonous plant, and their remarkable process of coevolution. Monarch butterflies are one of nature’s most recognizable creatures, known for their bright colors and epic annual migration from the United States and Canada to Mexico. Yet there is much more to the monarch than its distinctive presence and mythic journeying. In Monarchs and Milkweed, Cornell professor Anurag Agrawal presents a vivid investigation into how the monarch butterfly has ev...