Science at AMNH

The space shows presented by the Museum are more than pretty pictures of the cosmos - they are based in real scientific data. Join Astrophysics Curator Mordecai-Mark Mac Low and Director of Astrovisualization Carter Emmart as they guide you through the visual artistry and science of Dome visualization, as seen in the new space show titled "Dark Universe", open November 2, 2013.

This Frontiers Lecture took place in the Hayden Planetarium on October 7, 2013.

Hayden Planetarium Programs are proudly sponsored by Con Edison.

Additional support is provided by the Schaffner Family.

Earthquakes are a natural part of our world. But while Earth’s system of tectonic plates makes them unpreventable, our ability to predict and mitigate their effects on people has increased over time.

In this podcast, join Gavin Hayes of the United States Geological Survey’s National Earthquake Information Center as he discusses how we can lessen the impacts of Earthquakes, especially in high population areas, so that we can better deal with these inevitable natural disasters.

The lecture took place at the Museum on September 26, 2013.

This lecture was part of the Annual IRIS Lecture Series, presented in collaboration with the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology.

The great melting pot that is New York City has always been known for its vibrant immigrant cultures - and many of these cultures are now reflected in the city's finest restaurants.

In this podcast, Chef Daniel Humm and General Manager Will Guidara of acclaimed restaurant Eleven Madison Park discuss their method of melding Jewish, Italian, Irish, and other cultures' culinary traditions into contemporary fine dining. Humm and Guidara are joined in conversation by Mitchell Davis, Executive Vice President of the James Beard Foundation.

The event "Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Exotic Flavors in Fine Dining," took place at the Museum on June 6, 2013. The talk was presented in conjunction with the exhibition "Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture," on view from November 17, 2012 to August 11, 2013.

Jazz is very different from rock music- but does the brain of a jazz musician act differently than that of a rock musician? What about the brain of a painter, or a dancer? In this podcast join musician and surgeon Charles Limb, of the Peabody Conservatory of Music and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, as he discusses musical creativity in the brain in this final SciCafe of the spring 2013 season. Dr. Limb both talks about his own research using functional MRI to measure brain activity in musicians as they play music, and also shows how his results have implications for our understanding of creativity of all kinds.

The SciCafe "The Neuroscience of Creativity" took place at the Museum on June 5, 2013.

To err is human, even if you’re a scientist. In this podcast, astrophysicist Mario Livio discusses the interesting scientific mistakes made by famous scientists, the subject of his new book “Brilliant Blunders.” Livio illuminates the errors made by Charles Darwin, Linus Pauling, and Albert Einstein, among others, and argues that these errors are not only inevitable, they are also an essential part of progress in science.

This “Frontiers” lecture took place at the Museum on June 10, 2013.

The oceans are home to about 80 species of whales, each unique and interesting in ways that fascinate of people of all ages. Learn more about these marine giants in this Milstein Science Series 2013 program, "Whales".

In this podcast, hear scientists Howard Rosenbaum, director of the Ocean Giants Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society and research associate at the American Museum of Natural History, and Christopher Clark, the I.P. Johnson director of the Bioacoustics Research Program at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, discuss current whale research and and issues surrounding the protection of whales.

This program took place as a part of the Milstein Science Series program at the Museum on May 19th, 2013, and was presented in conjunction with the special exhibition "Whales: Giants of the Deep," on view from March 23, 2013 through January 5, 2014.

Finding your way from A to B is easy with modern GPS systems, but the natural abilities of navigation found in the animal world have piqued the interest of humans for centuries. In this podcast, join authors James Gould and Carol Gould as they discuss the unique directional sensitivities of animals explored in their latest book, "Nature's Compass". They also address the topic of the modern age and climate change's effects on migratory paths - and whether these effects endanger animal species.

The lecture took place at the Museum on May 5, 2013.

On April 24, 2013, the Museum hosted its 23rd Annual Spring Environmental Lecture and Luncheon “Islands in a Changing World: Resilience and Recovery.” The event featured a panel of experts discussing island resiliency, including New York and surrounding areas’ recovery from Hurricane Sandy, and the effects of climate change on oceanic islands.

Moderator Lynn Sherr, former “20/20” correspondent, was joined by panelists Stuart Gaffin, research scientist at the Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia University; Philip Kramer, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Caribbean Program; and Seth W. Pinsky, president of the New York City Economic Development Corporation and leader of New York City’s Special Initiative for Rebuilding and Resiliency.

Listen to a portion of this year’s lecture, and join the Museum next April for the 24th Annual Spring Environmental Lecture and Luncheon.