Museum of Science, Boston

Press Release [Return to listing page]

August 31, 2009

BOSTON—September 1, 2009—In addition to its exhibits, films, and planetarium presentations, the Museum of Science hosts a number of exciting lectures and special programs. These programs are designed to engage museum visitors and further spark curiosity, inviting us to discover how science and technology fit into our daily lives. This season, the Museum invites the public to explore the impact music has on our brains and bodies and our relationship with the planet. Find up-to-date offerings at: mos.org/events.

SOUND MIND: Examine the ways in which music feeds our soul, challenges our brains, and heals our bodies.

Tuneful Treatments | Friday, October 2; 7:00 p.m.

Mark Jude Tramo, MD, PhD, director, The Institute for Music & Brain Science, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital; neurologist, musician, and composer | Suzanne Hanser, EdD, MT-BC, chair, Department of Music Therapy, Berklee College of Music; music therapist, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; research associate, Brandeis University

Music not only energizes and calms us; research shows that it has powerful healing properties. Music can ease pain, lower blood pressure, and relieve anxiety and depression. It can even alleviate the symptoms of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, mitigate the side effects of cancer, and help premature babies gain weight faster. Join us for a fascinating discussion, punctuated with musical examples, of how the neurobiological foundations of music are leading to new treatments for a variety of health problems. Fee: Free.

Seating is limited. Seating passes are available to the general public in the Museum lobby beginning at 5:45 p.m. on the evening of the program. First come, first served. Museum members may reserve a limited number of seating passes in advance. For member reservations, call between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday the week of the program only: 617-589-3169. Admission to this program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. Additional funding for adult programs provided by the Barbara and Malcolm L. Sherman Fund for Adult Programs and the David and Marion Ellis Endowment Fund.

Music on My Brain: A Conversation with Daniel J. Levitin and Rosanne Cash

Part of the Celebrity Science Series | A Reno Family Foundation Symposium | Wednesday, October 21; 7:00 p.m.

Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, James McGill Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, McGill University; director, Laboratory for Music Perception, Cognition, and Expertise; author, This is Your Brain on Music and The World in Six Songs | Rosanne Cash, Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter; author

How does music evoke our emotions? Why does music play such an important role in our lives? Join us for a noteworthy evening with neuroscientist Daniel Levitin and artist Rosanne Cash. Levitin is a rock star of science who has worked with Sting, David Bryne, and others. Cash, who has been performing, recording, and writing songs for 30 years and is the daughter of the legendary Johnny Cash, underwent brain surgery in 2007 and brings a unique perspective to music on our minds. Fee: $25, including post-program reception.

Tickets on sale for Museum members beginning Monday, August 31. Tickets for the general public beginning Thursday, September 3. Purchase tickets in person at the Museum box office, by phone at 617-723-2500, or online and mos.org/adults. Funded by the Reno Family Foundation. Additional funding for adult programs provided by the Barbara and Malcolm L. Sherman Fund for Adult Programs and the David and Marion Ellis Endowment Fund.

Genes & Jazz | Wednesday, November 4; 7:30 p.m.

Harold Varmus, MD, Nobel Prize winner; president, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center |Jacob Varmus, trumpeter and composer, The Jacob Varmus Quintet

What do DNA and music have in common? Nobel Prize-winner Harold Varmus teams up with son Jacob Varmus, jazz trumpeter and composer, to explore the ways in which genes and notes affect complex organisms and compelling music. This father-son duo compares cell biology to musical development through a multimedia experience that features a performance by the Jacob Varmus Quintet. Fee: $15.

Tickets on sale for Museum members beginning Monday, August 31. Tickets for the general public beginning Thursday, September 3. Purchase tickets in person at the Museum box office, by phone at 617-723-2500, or online and mos.org/adults. Major funding is provided by the Richard S. Morse Fund. Additional funding for adult programs provided by the Barbara and Malcolm L. Sherman Fund for Adult Programs and the David and Marion Ellis Endowment Fund.

ECO-LOGIC: Explore our complex relationship to an ever-changing world.

Uranium Wars | Sunday, September 27; 1:00 p.m.

Amir D. Aczel, author, The Riddle of the Compass, The Mystery of the Aleph, and Fermat's Last Theorem

Named "one of our best science popularizers" by Publishers Weekly, Amir Aczel has penned a provocative history of the scientists who discovered atomic energy. Set against the darkening shadow of World War II, Aczel weaves a suspenseful story about the brilliant men and women who raced to harness the mysteries of radioactivity. Book signing to follow. Fee: Free.

Seating is limited. Seating passes are available to the general public in the Museum lobby beginning at 11:45 am on the day of the program. First come, first served. Museum members may reserve a limited number of seating passes in advance. For member reservations, call between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Thursday the week of the program only: 617-589-3169. Admission to this program is free thanks to the generosity of the Lowell Institute. Additional funding for adult programs provided by the Barbara and Malcolm L. Sherman Fund for Adult Programs and the David and Marion Ellis Endowment Fund.

World Wide Views on Global Warming

Take part in two fall forums that invite voices from around the globe to weigh in on our growing environmental challenges. Fee: Free with Exhibit Halls admission. For more information: mos.org/forum.

Sunday, September 27; 2:00 p.m.

Hear from the experts on what environmental policy options will be considered during the 2009 COP15 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Share your opinions and recommendations using live text messaging.

Saturday, December 5; 10:00 a.m.

Be on hand as we kick off a scientific conference on global warming, featuring experts from La Cité des Sciences in Paris, the Museum of Science, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC.

Developed and planned by the Museum of Science in partnership with the Brookfield Institute and the Boston University School of Public Health.

From the Farm to Your Plate | Thursday, November 12; 7:00 p.m.

What we eat and drink has significant ecological consequences. Where does our food come from and how does it get to us? What are "food miles"? Learn how the production, packaging, and transportation of food affect our environment. Consider how food is produced and transported in other countries and what we can do to reduce the environmental impact of food packaging and consumption on the local and national level. Fee: Free.

Space is limited; online registration: mos.org/forum. For more information: 617-589-4250 or forumrsvp@mos.org. This forum is presented in collaboration by the Museum of Science and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

Factory Food: What's Really for Dinner? | Thursday, November 19; 7:00 p.m.

Today's food isn't what it use to be. Agriculture now includes a number of controversial practices that affect consumers and the environment. From genetic engineering to artificial hormones, the new age of food production has raised a host of concerns. Learn the reality behind the buzz words and how antibiotics, factory farming, and monoculture food production impact what's on your dinner plate. Fee: Free.

Space is limited; online registration: mos.org/forum. For more information: 617-589-4250 or forumrsvp@mos.org. This forum is presented in collaboration by the Museum of Science and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.

Neri Oxman: At the Frontier of Ecological Design | On Exhibit August 14 - February 28; Gordon Current Science & Technology Center, Blue Wing, Level 1

Biology inspires Neri Oxman. Working at the interface of environmental design, science, and art,

Oxman is inventing the future of energy-efficient building materials. A Presidential Fellow at MIT's Department of Architecture, Oxman is inventing novel ways to design, fabricate, assemble, and maintain building "skins" so they can respond to load, light, and heat simultaneously. Think buildings that breathe, sweat, and grow. "I believe that, within two decades, buildings will be designed and constructed as biological tissues," says Oxman. Fee: Free with Exhibit Halls admission.

Running the Numbers | On Exhibit Beginning November 12; Blue Wing, Level 2

Sociologists tell us that the human mind cannot meaningfully grasp numbers higher than a few thousand. Yet, understanding the consequences of our choices requires us to comprehend the incremental effect of millions or billions of small acts. How can we sensitize ourselves and, in turn, change our choices? Photographer Chris Jordan's large-format prints, assembled from thousands of smaller photographs, dramatically translate the raw language of statistics into powerful images of global mass culture that we can respond to emotionally. Seeing the cumulative impact of individual actions through this talented artist's lens awakens us to the enormity of our personal decisions. Fee: Free with Exhibit Halls admission

MORE: The Museum has something for everyone! In addition to these offerings, check out Omni, Laser, and Planetarium Shows, new exhibits, daily presentations, and more at mos.org.

Whose Information Is It Anyway: Privacy in the Digital Age | Friday, October 9; 7:00 p.m.

Every time we use a credit card, swipe a subway pass, or send an email we are sharing personal information about ourselves. Just how is the information used? Who sets the standards? And how do these policies affect our civil liberties? New methods, including nanoscale technology, are revolutionizing the way we collect information. Join us for a discussion and short play on some of the ethical issues we face in data storage and dissemination in the digital age. This forum will be held at Spontaneous Celebrations in Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Fee: Free.

Space is limited; online registration: mos.org/forum. For more information: 617-589-4250 or forumrsvp@mos.org.