SDNHM Webcasts and Recorded Lectures

Webcast Lectures
  Body Worlds
  Nature Matters (UCSD)
  Sustainable Planet: Energy
  Sustainable Planet: Water
  Global Climate Change-07
  Evolution Matters (UCSD)
  Global Climate Change-06
  Grey Matters (UCSD)
  Other Lectures

Note: Views stated by guest speakers are not necesesarily held by the San Diego Natural History Museum.

Webcasts and Recorded Lectures

Darwin: Evolution | Revolution Lecture Series

Tree of Life: Perceptions of the History of Life Before and After Darwin
Lecture with J. David Archibald, Ph.D., Curator of Mammals, San Diego State University Vertebrate Collections

The history of life is commonly represented either as a ladder (scala naturae) or a tree. Although commonly associated with Charles Darwin, representations of the tree of life predate by many years the publication in 1859 of On the Origin of Species. Darwin used trees in his private notebooks over 20 years prior, but it was Jean-Baptiste Lamarck who first published an evolutionary tree of life in 1809. As strange as it may seem, trees of life in the 19th century did not always represent evolution. A number of these trees represented instead multiple creations. Discover the iconography of both evolutionary and creationist trees of life that almost certainly finds its roots in trees. (49 minutes)

Montane Diversity and the Impact of Climate Change
Lecture with Craig Moritz, Ph.D., Director, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley

It is no surprise that montane species (growing or living in mountainous regions) are regarded as especially prone to extinctions due to global warming. What is perhaps less appreciated is the extent to which montane habitats harbor unique biological diversity. Learn about the evolutionary history of unique montane diversity in California and the tropical rainforests of Australia, and explore the evidence that climate change over the past century already has affected species ranges. (81 minutes)

Earthquakes in San Diego: How You Can Prepare

Earthquakes in San Diego: How You Can Prepare
Lecture with Dr. Pat Abbott.

San Diego—are you ready for an earthquake? Geologist and Earthquake Expert Dr. Patrick L. Abbott will discuss our region’s earthquake risks. Dr. Abbott will compare and contrast near faults such as the Rose Canyon Fault, and distant faults such as the San Andreas Fault. This lecture is especially timely because the San Andreas Fault is overdue for a 1906 San Francisco-magnitude quake, which is prompting next month’s Great California ShakeOut drill (10:15 AM on October 15). Learn about the different problems that near and distant faults present in earthquake country, and hear a brief introduction to San Diego’s tsunami threat. Learn how to safeguard your family and minimize potential injuries. (77 minutes)

Body Worlds 2009 Lecture Series

Morality & The Social Brain
Lecture with Patricia Churchland, B.Phil., University of California, San Diego Brains navigate the causal world by recognizing and categorizing events they need to care about. Contrary to the widespread assumption that a subject must apply a general rule in deciding what ought to be done, rule-application is only occasionally a factor, even in human decision-making. Learn about the complex balance of drives, emotions, learned habits, pattern recognition, and sensitivity to time-constraints that typically bring the system to a workable decision. (75 minutes)
Sponsored by the University of San Diego.

Connecting Art and Science: The Historical Influence of Culture on Anatomy
From the ancient cultures of the East to the modern day culture of the Internet, the science and study of human anatomy has always been portrayed through artistic images that reflect the attitudes and knowledge of their time. While it may seem that the anatomy of man has changed little over the previous several centuries, just how man views his structure is a much more dynamic matter. Predicated upon such issues as religion, culture, and historical era, representations of the human form from around the globe are quite varied. Gain insight into the historical saga of anatomical studies, view images that reflect the evolution of the scientific method, and understand that the current body of anatomical knowledge is by contributions from the whole world. (71 minutes)

Nature Matters: Modern Ecology and Its Value to Understanding and Conserving Our Water, Land, and Plant Resources 2008–2009 Lecture Series

Webcasts for the following are found at: http://www.ucsd.tv/naturematters/

Conservation and the Futures of Life
by David Woodruff

Life and Death Among the Flowers: the Perils and Secret Language of Bees
by James Nieh

Life on the Edge: Ingenious Survival Strategies in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts
by Therese Markow

Climate change and Southern California Ecosystems
by Elsa Cleland

Ants Marching: a Biological Invasion in Your Own Backyard
by David Holway

Sustainable Planet: Energy
2009 Lecture Series

Homo Sapiens: Threatened Species
Panel discussion with Steve Fambro, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Aptera Motors; Barry Logan, Owner and Farmer, La Milpa Organica Farm; and Bob Gilleskie, former Director of Engineering at the California Center for Sustainable Energy (75 minutes)
This webcast was made possible through the generosity of Bank of America.

Earth: The Sequel
by Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund (40 minutes)
This webcast was made possible through the generosity of Bank of America.

Sustainable Planet: Water
2008 Lecture Series

Thinking Like a Watershed
by Brock Dolman, Director, Water Institute (71 minutes)
This webcast was made possible through the generosity of Bank of America.

Climate Change and Our Water Resources
by Peter Gleick, Ph.D., President, Pacific Institute (39 minutes)
This webcast was made possible through the generosity of Bank of America.

Water: Conflict in California and the West
by Rita Sudman, Executive Director, Water Education Foundation (39 minutes)
This webcast was made possible through the generosity of Bank of America.

Blue Covenant: The Coming Fight for the Right to Water
by Maude Barlow, National Chairperson, The Council of Canadians (56 minutes)
This webcast was made possible through the generosity of Bank of America.

San Diego Sustainability Business Forum: The Value of Green — webcast

Keynote Speaker: Ray Anderson, Founder and Chairman of Interface, Inc.
Remarks and Insights by Mayor Jerry Sanders
Discussion Panel Themes: Water, Energy, Materials
Closing Keynote Address by Joan Embery

Global Climate Change: Perspectives and Solutions
2007–2008 Lecture Series

Wildlife Responses to Climate Change
by Terry Root, Ph.D., Stanford University (41 minutes)

Polar Bears, Seals, and Climate in Hudson Bay and the High Arctic
by Ian Stirling, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist, Canadian Wildlife Service; and Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta, Edmonton (55 minutes)

Emperor Penguins and Warming Trends in Antarctica
by Jerry Kooyman, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego (45 minutes)

Climate Change and the World's Oceans
by Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D., Oregon State University (61 minutes)

The Future of Biodiversity in a Changing World
by Walter Jetz, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego (48 minutes)

Local Impacts of a Changing Climate
by Walter Oechel, Ph.D., San Diego State University (70 minutes)

Evolution Matters: The Diversity of Development
2007 lecture series

Webcasts for the following are found at: http://www.ucsd.tv/evolutionmatters/

Clockwork Genes: Biological Rhythms in Health and Agriculture
by Dr. Steve A. Kay

Embryos and Evolution
by Dr. William J. McGinnis

The Evolution of Complexity: From the Human Brain to the Rainforest
by Dr. Christopher Wills

Unraveling the Mysteries of Flower and Fruit Formation
by Dr. Martin Yanofsky

The Genetics of Hominid Evolution: A Rosetta Stone for Understanding Human Disease
by Dr. Ajit Varki

Global Climate Change: Perspectives and Solutions
2006 lecture series

Climate, Air Pollution, and Human Health (with Adobe Presenter™)
by Kim Prather, Ph.D., University of California, San Diego (60 minutes)

Global Warming: Where Do We Go From Here? (with Adobe Presenter™)
by Dr. Michael Oppenheimer, Princeton University (60 minutes)

Grey Matters
2006-2007 lecture series

Webcasts for the following are found at: http://www.ucsd.tv/greymatters/

Decisions: How we animals choose what to do
by Dr. William Kristan, UCSD Biological Sciences

Conscious and unconscious memory systems of the mammalian brain
by Dr. Larry Squire, UCSD School of Medicine

New drug treatments and the future of stem cells for the aging brain
by Dr. Stuart Lipton, The Burnham Institute

The science and fiction of Autism: How to tell the difference and why it is so important to do so
by Dr. Laura Schreibman, UCSD Psychology

Evolution Of The Brain
by Dr. Harvey Karten, UCSD Neuroscience

See our current series of free lectures.

From the exhibition Earth, Wind & WILDFIRE

The Fire Environment (85 minutes)
- Fire Basics by Michael Scott, Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District
- Local Habitats by Mark Dodero, RECON Environmental
- Local Fire Ecology by Richard W. Halsey, California Chaparral Institute

Building Materials and Design (52 minutes)
by Cliff Hunter, Rancho Santa Fe Fire Protection District

Home and Community Site Design/Survivable Space and Fuel Management (32 minutes)
by Terrance Lien, City of San Diego, Development Services