Past Programs

Cerebral Cinema Series

August 14, 6:30 p.m.

Join us for our Cerebral Cinema series. Hear from researchers and then compare real science to depictions on the big screen.

Robots Send-off

August 10, 2018, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Bid a fond farewell to our robots as they come off view for a brief hiatus.

Both/And: A Quantum Physics Play

Summer 2018

Both/And, an inventive one-act play is part comedy, part poetry, and all inquiry into a major scientific experiment taking place right now.

Mind Myths

July 20, 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

Join us for an evening of short presentations and fast-paced, conversations about the mind. Leading researchers and fellow brain enthusiasts will share insights and bust a few long-standing myths.

Join us for a night of science trivia and short talks by science researchers. See how you'll fare with categories ranging from anatomy to artist-scientists. Sign up as a team—6 people maximum—or come and make new friends.

Neuron Paint Night

May 24, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Create your own painting of cerebral cortex neurons with artist Daniela Gamba and hear from Amy Robinson Sterling, Executive Director of Eyewire about neuronal structures and her cutting-edge, video game-based citizen science project.

Spring into Science Saturday

Spring 2018

Learn from MIT students as they "show and tell" the amazing work they are creating on campus.

Teen Science Café: Mindful Matters

May 12, 6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

An exciting event connecting local teens with MIT scientists and each other.

Cambridge Science Festival

April 13 - 22, 2018

Every April, as part of this city-wide festival, enjoy performances, learn about cutting-edge research, and meet scientists and engineers of all kinds.

Iron Builder "Chain Reaction Link" Competition

April 21, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Have you built awe-inspiring chain reactions and delighted your friends? Or, want to challenge your building skills? Then register your team and compete for Chain Reaction glory! Teams will receive a box of materials, building prompt, and have two hours to impre

Self-Driving (LEGO) Vehicles: An Introductory Workshop for Adults

April 18, 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Autonomous vehicles are coming. Are you ready? Learn how to program a LEGO vehicle to better understand how researchers are programming self-driving cars, and meet MIT’s Leilani Gilpin, who is actively working on the future of transportation.

Science Game Night

April 15, 6:00 - 8:30 pm

Learn about science through board games! Enjoy an evening of science-themed games with your friends and family, and see how your science knowledge stacks up to others.

The Hackable Museum

April 14, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

When museums make their collections assesible, it opens up myriad possibilities to create games, toys, designs, and other creative uses. Come for an evening to talk about and demo museum APIs and collections databases with museum hackers from various institutes around Cambridge and Boston.

Livecoding Sinusoidal Traversals through Sound Sorted in Space

April 12, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Join Jason Levine, computational artist and musician, in an exploration of live coded music. Learn about Levine’s process and create your own improvised algorithmic composition during this special, one-time workshop.

Combining Livecoding and Real-time Software for Musical Improvisation

April 10, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Jason Levine, musician, performer, and computational artist will discuss his path through computer science and music technology to build his vibrant career and artistic practice.

Science on Saturday

2018 Programming

Science on Saturday is a free, 60-minute presentation with fun demonstrations in which students can volunteer.

Book Talk: Sunburst and Luminary: An Apollo Memoir

March 14, 6:00 - 7:30 pm (New date)

Meet author and MIT I-Lab computer scientist Don Eyles, and get a glimpse into a complex story never before told from an Apollo insider — the development of the onboard software for the Apollo spacecraft.

Feb Fest

February 19–24, 2018

Enjoy February school holiday week at the MIT Museum with hands-on learning activities and demonstrations each day.

Citizen Science Fair

February 24, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Meet researchers from a number of local organizations, and discover how you can participate in “citizen science” research projects that enlist the public’s participation in data collection, analysis, and reporting.

Big Data Justice

February 20, 2018, 6-8 p.m.

Numbers can be overwhelming, powerful, manipulative, intriguing ... and what about big data?

Authors' Talk

February 6, 2018, 6:30-8 p.m.

Join MIT Professor Neil Gershenfeld, MIT alum Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld, and MIT Visitor Alan Gershenfeld, as they discuss their latest book Designing Reality.

MIT Can Talk Oratory Competition

February 3, 2018, 1-2 p.m.

Watch MIT students, staff, and community members compete for over $1000 in cash and prizes as they each share a five-minute talk about “Taking Risks.” Vote for your favorite competitor and hear tales by local storytellers.

Artists’ Talk: Boston Coastline: Future Past

January 6, 2018

Hear from artists Catherine D'Ignazio and Andi Sutton as they share insights on their installation Boston Coastline: Future Past, part of our Big Bang Data exhibition.

Bringing Kepes into Focus

December 6, 2017

How does one interpret another artist’s intention? Hear about the challenges photographer Charles Fendrock faced while printing vintage, never-before-printed negatives from the Estate of György Kepes.

Are We The Enemy? The Neuroscience of Conflict and Empathy

November 30, 2017

Join Dr. Emile Bruneau and Dr. Karen Ross to explore how human cognitive habits encourage bias, separation, and conflict.

Friday After Thanksgiving Chain Reaction

FAT Chain Reaction

November 24, 2017

Help build or just observe this massive chain reaction made up of dozens of individual devices designed by teams from all over the country.

Beers and Gears

November 10, 2017

Grab a friend—and a beer—and enjoy an evening of tinkering and building a Rube Goldberg-esque device. We’ll supply the materials you’ll need to construct your link. Then, at the end of the evening all of the devices will be connected to set off one giant chain reaction.