Karen Joy Greenberg will examine the evolution of global security issues in the 21st century, focusing on the competing aims of security, human rights, and peaceful co-existence. While the late 20th century emphasized the protection of civilians, including women and children, along with arms control and supercharged diplomacy, the 21st century has seen a significant change of course driven by threats of terrorism, Great Power rivalries, climate change, and artificial intelligence.
In her talk, Greenberg will explore the consequences of these changing priorities and question the possibilities for preserving peace, safety, and global security in the days to come. … Read more »

For decades, the U.S. government has focused its anti-narcotics efforts in Mexico on drug lords. Now it’s increasingly looking at politicians suspected of supporting them. President Trump has gone so far as to declare that “the cartels run Mexico.” How much influence does organized crime have in Mexican politics? How has that changed in recent years? How much can President Sheinbaum do to combat groups that are no longer just cocaine traffickers, but sprawling enterprises that control territory and install their own mayors? As Washington adopts a more aggressive stance on Latin American drug gangs, veteran journalist Mary Beth Sheridan recounts her experiences tracking the elusive ways cartels have changed and become more prominent social, economic and political actors in Mexico. … Read more »

Humanity faces an accelerating crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and cultural homogenization — eroding the ecosystems and cultural knowledge that sustain our collective thriving. Addressing these challenges requires a shared reimagining of our relationships to ecosystems and to each other. Stories are the foundation of our shared belonging and values, and in a fractured and extractive media landscape we have lost our collective connection to a shared set of stories about our purpose, goals and responsibilities as caretakers of our communities and ecosystems. Wild salmon, and the communities who have stewarded them for generations, offer a powerful story of what’s possible when we embrace place-based belonging — a felt sense of connection to land, water, and community that grounds us even amid crisis.

Drawing on two decades supporting Indigenous and community-led salmon stewardship, Will and Olivia will share case studies illustrating how place-based stewardship, reciprocity, shared story-telling, and a plurality of cultural knowledge and values can restore lasting resilience — and a renewed sense of belonging — to both ecosystems and communities across the planet. … Read more »

The rediscovery of the seventeenth-century Delft master Johannes Vermeer in the late nineteenth century captivated European and American collectors, who eagerly sought his rare paintings. As their value soared, so did the incentive to forge them. Forgers often confounded scholars through innovative painting techniques and carefully chosen subjects. The most famous was Han van Meegeren, whose The Supper at Emmaus was hailed by Dutch authorities as one of Vermeer’s greatest masterpieces.
The “Van Meegeren Affair” centers on the sensational trial in which Van Meegeren was accused of selling a “Vermeer” to Nazi leader Hermann Göring, one of history’s most notorious art looters. In his defense, the Dutch forger claimed that he had not sold priceless Vermeers to the Nazis but had successfully deceived them into purchasing his own forgeries. During the trial, Van Meegeren also admitted that he had painted The Supper at Emmaus.
These shocking revelations forced scholars to reassess Vermeer’s oeuvre, sometimes leading them to reject genuine works. One such painting was Young Woman Seated at a Virginal, now in The Leiden Collection. Drawing on decades of research, Arthur Wheelock will explore the controversy surrounding this masterpiece and the evidence that led him to conclude it is an authentic Vermeer. … Read more »

Insects surround us. They fuel life on Earth through their roles as pollinators, predators, and prey, but rarely do we consider the outsize influence they have had on our culture and civilization. Their anatomy and behaviors have inspired the way we live, work, create art, and innovate. Our world would look very different without insects, not just because they are crucial to our ecosystems, but because they have shaped and inspired so many aspects of what makes us human.

Drawing from examples that span cultures and centuries, Barrett Klein explores how insects have inspired human ingenuity, from architecture and engineering to mythology, fashion, music, medicine, and emerging technologies. The insect world has quietly left its mark on human civilization in ways most of us never imagine.
Join us for a fascinating journey into the surprising connections between humans and our six-legged allies, and discover why seeing insects in a new light may change the way you see the world itself. … Read more »