Science at AMNH

What does a dolphin see when it looks in the mirror? Cognitive psychologist and marine mammal scientist Diana Reiss of Hunter College explains what we already know about bottlenose dolphin intelligence and communication, and describes her teams’ efforts to unlock new anwers by using mirrors, interactive keyboards, and other technology.

This James Arthur Lecture on the Evolution of the Human Brain took place at the Museum on March 6, 2018.

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For information on upcoming events at the Museum, visit AMNH.org/calendar.

In honor of Albert Einstein’s birthday on March 14, we’re re-publishing this podcast primer on his theories of General and Special Relativity—ideas that most people have heard of but few truly understand. Astrophysicist and educator Jeffrey Bennett breaks down the basic tenets of Einstein’s theories and underscores their importance to our modern understanding of the universe.

This Frontiers Lecture took place on September 21, 2015.

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Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Scientists have only just begun to detect exoplanets—planets orbiting stars other than our Sun—but already these alien worlds have upended the rules previously believed to govern planetary systems. Astrophysicist Elizabeth Tasker takes us on a journey through the surprising diversity of exoplanets, from the TRAPPIST system to “Hot Jupiter” planets, and reveals what new discoveries are on the horizon.

This Frontiers Lecture took place at the Museum on February 5, 2018, under the title: Dangerous Worlds.

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Read a full transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/podcast-strange-new-worlds-with-elizabeth-tasker

Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.

Although they’ve been extinct for about 252 million years, trilobites still manage to fascinate us today. These fossil arthropods were among the first animals to appear in large numbers, and they lived for almost 300 million years before going extinct. Assistant Curator Melanie Hopkins explains where these diverse creatures fit into the fossil record across the globe, delves into her research on trilobite growth patterns, and discusses the amazing diversity of their shapes.

This SciCafe took place at the Museum on February 7, 2018.

Watch a video version of this SciCafe on the Museum's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IMk__N-O-4

Read a full transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-trilobite-takedown

Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Scicafe Series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

This program is made possible by OceanX, an initiative of the Dalio Foundation, as part of its generous support of the special exhibition Unseen Oceans and its related educational activities and public programs.

Isaac Asimov’s famous Three Laws of Robotics might be seen as early safeguards for our reliance on artificial intelligence, but as Alexa guides our homes and automated cars replace human drivers, are those Three Laws enough?

In this podcast, listen in as a panel of experts led by host and moderator Neil deGrasse Tyson, Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium, discuss how A.I. is opening doors to limitless possibilities, and if we’re ready for them. You will hear from John Giannandrea of Google; Helen Greiner of the iRobot Corporation and CyPhy Works; Ruchir Puri of IBM Watson; Max Tegmark of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Michael P. Wellman, of the University of Michigan.

The 2018 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate took place at the Museum on February, 13 2018.

A full transcript of this podcast is available here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/2018-isaac-asimov-memorial-debate-artificial-intelligence

A video version will be available on the Museum's YouTube channel tomorrow, February 16.

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The late Dr. Isaac Asimov, one of the most prolific and influential authors of our time, was a dear friend and supporter of the American Museum of Natural History. In his memory, the Hayden Planetarium is honored to host the annual Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate — generously endowed by relatives, friends, and admirers of Isaac Asimov and his work — bringing the finest minds in the world to the Museum each year to debate pressing questions on the frontier of scientific discovery. Proceeds from ticket sales of the Isaac Asimov Memorial Debates benefit the scientific and educational programs of the Hayden Planetarium.

Artificial intelligence is growing at an astounding rate, but are we ready for the consequences? Cosmologist and MIT physics professor Max Tegmark guides us through the state of artificial intelligence today and the many paths we might take in further developing this technology. Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson moderates, with an introduction by Ward Wheeler, curator of Invertebrate Zoology and computational science at the American Museum of Natural History.

This Frontiers Lecture took place in the Museum’s Hayden Planetarium on January 8, 2018.

Max Tegmark will be participating in the 2018 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate happening next week at the Museum. The podcast of that event will be available on February 15.

Just in time for the Super Bowl this weekend, we’re republishing a podcast about the science behind football. Author Ainissa Ramirez, who spoke at the Museum’s SciCafe a few weeks before the New England Patriots faced off against the Seattle Seahawks at the 2015 Super Bowl, explains how prolate spheroids bounce, why Vince Lombardi was a game theorist, and why woodpeckers don’t get concussions. This podcast was originally published on January 15, 2015.

Read a full transcript of this podcast here:

https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/scicafe-the-science-behind-football2

The SciCafe series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

On January 31, 2018, a trifecta of lunar events will cause what’s being dubbed a “Super Blue Blood Moon.” Museum astrophysicist Jackie Faherty explains what causes this phenomenon, provides us some with some viewing tips, and tells us about other cosmic events we have to look forward to in 2018.

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Did you know that some of the bacteria living inside us are essential for our health? Gastroenterologist Ari Grinspan delves into the complex world of the microbiome in the human digestive system.

He explains how transplanting bacteria from healthy people to patients with a debilitating, sometimes lethal, disease has had astonishing success—despite a method of transfer that might be a little surprising. This SciCafe took place at the American Museum of Natural History on January 4, 2018.

Subscribe to the Science@AMNH Podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Scicafe Series is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

SciCafe: The Power of Poop and related activities are generously supported by the Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) program of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Black holes may be among the most mysterious phenomena in the universe, but innovations in astrophysics are bringing scientists ever closer to unlocking their secrets.

Princeton University physics professors Steven Gubser and Frans Pretorius review Einstein’s theories of relativity and what they say about the existence of black holes. They explain some of the fantastical properties of black holes, and discuss how recent findings from LIGO, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory, may provide the first physical evidence of these extraordinary cosmic occurrences.

This Frontiers Lecture took place at the Museum’s Hayden Planetarium on December 11, 2017.

Read a full transcript of this podcast here: https://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/podcasts/frontiers-lecture-demystifying-black-holes-with-steven-gubser-and-frans-pretorius

Subscribe to the Science@AMNH podcast on iTunes, Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Support for Hayden Planetarium Programs is provided by the Schaffner Family and the Horace W. Goldsmith Endowment Fund.