A Grand Tour of the Solar System

Presented in partnership with George Mason University Observatory

This series treks to the sun and the four inner terrestrial planets before traveling outward to the asteroid belt, four Jovian planets, and beyond. At each session, a professional astronomer presents the latest research on a solar system body. Following the talk and a question-and-answer period, Peter Plavchan, a professor of physics and astronomy at George Mason University, brings that night’s sky right into participants’ living rooms via remote control of the university observatory, weather permitting.

The Sun, Front and Center

The tour begins with the 4½-billion-year-old star at the center of the solar system, the sun. Its gravity is the glue that holds the solar system together. Its activity, from powerful eruptions to the steady stream of charged particles it sends out, provides a protective bubble that shields the planets from damaging galactic radiation. George Mason University astrophysicist and cosmologist Hakeem Oluseyi shines a light on this special star.

Tues., April 18, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1J0-254; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

Mercury, Small but Mighty Interesting

Mercury, the innermost planet in the solar system, remained relatively unexplored until NASA’s MESSENGER probe orbited and studied it from 2011 to 2015. MESSENGER’s results have transformed the understanding of Mercury, forcing scientists to reexamine what was thought to be known about the first rock from the sun. Physicist Ronald J. Vervack Jr., who worked on the MESSENGER mission, highlights how Mercury provides insight into the formation, evolution, and current state of the solar system.

Tues., May 9, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1J0-255; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

Venus, Shrouded in Clouds

In this solar system, Venus is the planet most like Earth in size and density, yet at some point in planetary history they evolved very differently, creating a kind of Jekyll and Hyde scenario: Venus now has a toxic atmosphere and is the hottest planet, contrasting with habitable Earth. University of California, Riverside, astrophysicist Stephen Kane reveals clues that point to a possible habitable past of Venus and discusses how its environment might have become hostile to life.

Tues., May 30, 6:45 p.m.; CODE 1J0-256; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

Renaissance Cabinets of Curiosity

Collecting All Sorts of Wonders

A narwhal tusk and a meticulous painting of a tulip might seem to have little in common, but they were among the wonders of nature and artifice displayed proudly in Renaissance collections of marvels known as curiosity cabinets. In their quest for knowledge, collectors ranging from apothecaries to Medici dukes acquired and categorized such intriguing pieces from around the globe.

Biologist Kay Etheridge describes how these collections provided naturalists with centers of study and source material—and ultimately led to the genesis of the modern museum.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Wed., April 19, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1J0-251; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

Mario Livio on What Makes Us Curious

The ability to ask “why?” makes us uniquely human. Curiosity drives scientific research, is the engine behind creativity in all disciplines, and provides a necessary ingredient in every form of storytelling that delights.

Renowned astrophysicist Mario Livio interprets cutting-edge research that explores the origin and mechanisms of curiosity. Livio has examined the personalities of Leonardo da Vinci and physicist Richard Feynman and interviewed nine exceptionally curious people living today, including linguist Noam Chomsky and the virtuoso lead guitarist of the rock band Queen, Brian May, who holds a Ph.D. in astrophysics.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Tues., April 25, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1M2-259; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

Live from the UK Chasing Plants

Join botanist Chris Thorogood for a glimpse into the exhilarating adventures of a field botanist. As part of his job, Thorogood has clambered over cliffs and up erupting volcanoes and trekked through typhoons. Along the way, he’s encountered exotic pitcher plants and orchids of unimaginable beauty.

Thorogood shares details of his hair-raising excursions and explains the vital work he and other botanists are doing to protect the world’s plants. His book Chasing Plants: Journeys with a Botanist Through Rainforests, Swamps and Mountains (University of Chicago Press) is available for purchase.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Thurs., April 27, 12–1:15 p.m.; CODE 1J0-257; Members $20; Nonmembers $25

What time does the program end? Unless noted, Smithsonian Associates programs run 1 hour 15 min.–2 hours, including Q&A

In-person and Online Program Taking a New Look at Historical Objects Interdisciplinary Technology Studies Unveil Insights

Using sophisticated tools that include a repurposed particle accelerator and working with museums, universities, and private collectors, Michael B. Toth and his colleagues have digitized everything from manuscripts to fossils, mining them for new information about their content and creation. Among the pieces they have worked on are the earliest known copy of work by Archimedes, Sir Isaac Newton’s sketch of how a rainbow is formed, Gutenberg and other early Bibles, and Muslim manuscripts.

Toth, the president of R.B. Toth Associates, talks about some of their findings.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Tues., May 2, 6:45 p.m.; Ripley Center; CODE 1J0-259; Members $30; Nonmembers $35

Keeping the Pace The Science of Pacemakers and Defibrillators

Today’s smallest pacemaker is the size of a multivitamin, weighing as little as a penny. It’s a long way from the first pacemaker, which was worn around the neck and weighed over half a pound. Today more than 3 million people have pacemakers, with over 600,000 implanted yearly.

Tom Choi, a pediatric cardiologist and electrophysiologist in Delaware, and Carolyn Ramwell, an electrophysiology nurse clinician in Washington, D.C., discuss the fascinating past, present, and future of this small but essential lifesaving device. In a lively talk, they cover the experimental history of the modern pacemaker and defibrillator; the current applications of both; the risk-taking scientists involved in discovering the electrical properties of the heart and the ability to restart the heartbeat; and the future implications posed by artificial intelligence and technological advances.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Thurs., May 4, 7 p.m.; CODE 1NV-033; Members $25; Nonmembers $30

Notes on Complexity Connection, Consciousness, and Being

Nothing in the universe is more complex than life. In its myriad forms—from cells to human beings, social structures, and ecosystems—life is open-ended, evolving, and unpredictable, yet adaptive and self-sustaining. Complexity theory addresses the mysteries that animate science, philosophy, and metaphysics: how this teeming array of existence, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, is a seamless living whole and what our place, as conscious beings, is within it.

Physician, scientist, and philosopher Neil Theise discusses this “theory of being,” one of the pillars of modern science, and its holistic view of human existence. He notes the surprising underlying connections within a universe that is itself one vast complex. His work considers links between ant colonies and the growth of forests; cancer and economic bubbles; and the buzz of starlings and crowds walking down along the street.

His book Notes on Complexity: A Scientific Theory of Connection, Consciousness, and Being (Spiegel & Grau) is available for purchase.

I N SI DE S C I ENCE Mon., May 15, 6:30 p.m.; CODE 1CV-015; Members $20; Nonmembers $25