Helpful Links

• Click here to download Windows MediaPlayer 

• Video reproduction information

• Previous lectures in the series

• History of the Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science

 

 

The Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science is a series of Saturday-morning lectures begun in 1995 by a group of Penn State Eberly College of Science faculty in the Center for Gravitational Physics and Geometry. It was an innovative move for our college because these lectures were designed for the enjoyment and education of average citizens rather than for a specialized audience composed exclusively of scientists, as were our other annual lectures at that time. Abhay Ashtekar, director of the center and holder of the Eberly Family Chair in Physics, explained at that time, "One of the missions of the center is to improve scientific literacy both on and off campus by presenting such public lectures." (more history)

 

 

MediaSite Live Recordings of the 2008 Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science

"Running on Empty?: Strategies for Our Energy Future" is the theme of the 2008 Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science, a series of free public lectures that will begin on Saturday, 26 January. Designed as a free minicourse for the enjoyment and education of residents in Central Pennsylvania communities, the lectures take place on six consecutive Saturday mornings from 11:00 a.m. to about 12:30 p.m. on the Penn State University Park campus.

NOTE: Internet Explorer is the recommended browser for viewing these presentations; users will need to have Windows Media Player installed on their computer prior to attempting to watch the live presentation. Windows Media Player is a free media player available for download to both Windows and Mac users at:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/player/11/default.aspx.

Click on any of the lecture titles below to view that lecture online:

"Fueling the Future: A Place for Coal?"
by Harold Schobert, Penn State
26 January 2008

"Global Warming and Our Future"
by Richard Alley, Penn State
2 February 2008

"The Promise of Solar Energy
by John Golbeck, Penn State
9 February 2008

"Biofuels: Tapping Nature's Abundance"
by Tom Richard, Penn State
16 February 2008

"The Renaissance of Nuclear Power: An Energy Source of the Future"
by Jack Brenizer, Penn State
23 February 2008

Fuel Cells: Are We There Yet?
by Matthew Mench, Penn State
1 March 2008

Strategies for Our Energy Future: A Panel Discussion
an encore presentation of the 2008 Penn State Lectures on the Frontiers of Science
26 April 2008

• Click here for information on the 2007 lecture videos on the web.
• Click here for information on the 2009 lecture videos on the web.