 Photo of Apollo 8 astronauts by Jim Kerlin, Courtesy The Associated Press. |
DCist’s guide to lectures and panel discussions in the D.C. area
This week, we’ve got a bit more talk on the elections, as well as some interesting discussions on astronauts, a changing Berlin, evolution, Abe, the First Amendment, and art criticism.
Monday:
>> At 7 p.m. today, George Mason University continues its Vision Series with Themes and Variations in Evolving Systems with professor Robert Hazen. Get info on tickets here. Hazen will further the discussion on biological evolution by focusing on “the formation of chemical elements in stars, diversification of minerals, development of languages, and progress in material culture … [in which] the “species” evolves through selective mechanisms.”
Tuesday:
>> Tuesday at 7 p.m., the Freer Gallery of Art is hosting Abraham Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief: An Evening with James McPherson in their Meyer Auditorium. The author and Civil War historian will be discussing Lincoln’s military experiences, including how he “invented the idea of Commander-in-Chief by assuming powers that overstepped the rights granted by the Constitution to the president.” General admission costs $28. Call 202-633-3030 or go online for more info.
Wednesday:
>> In case you forgot, we had a national election last week, but don’t let that make you think all the election talk is finished. At 6:30 p.m. tonight, the Goethe Institute brings us a discussion titled After the US Elections: Opportunities and Challenges for Transatlantic Cooperation with Karsten Voigt, who was a leader of the German Social Democratic Party and member of the German Parliament. RSVP to 202-289-1200 ext. 165 or rsvp [at] washington.goethe.org.
>> Now that she’s got some free time on her hands, Sarah Palin may want to head to the Newseum from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for their First Amendment Center Program at the Knight Conference Center. Panelists will be discussing The Wondrous World of the First Amendment: An Encyclopedic Look. RSVP by noon on Tuesday to ahampton[at] freedomforum.org with the subject line “Encyclopedic Look.” Free.
>> If you’d rather geek out on tech, head to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library at 6:30 p.m. for From Data to Visualization: Emerging Tools for Research, a talk with Jan Johansson and Richard Landry about data analysis applications and emerging technologies. Costs vary, see registration info for more details.
>> The Freer’s Meyer Auditorium has another political event tonight: Behind the Scenes of the 2008 Presidential Election at 6:45 p.m. The discussion will include some pretty well-known experts from all sides: Obama pollster Cornell Belcher, Howard Dean, McCain chief liaison Frank Donatelli, Hillary strategist Geoffrey Garin, and Romney’s press secretary Kevin Madden, all moderated by U.S. News & World Report‘s White House correspondent Kenneth Walsh. Costs $35, but unfortunately, this looks sold out, so you may have to try begging at the door.
>> At 7 p.m. tonight, head to the Sixth & I Historic Synagogue for a book talk and signing by civil rights leader Marion Wright Edelman. Her newest book The Sea is So Wide and My Boat is So Small, is “a deeply personal volume in the form of letters to parents, teachers, community leaders, her own grandchildren, and to others.” Free.
Thursday:
>> At 1:30 p.m. today, the Newseum is holding a discussion with the astronauts of the Apollo 8 mission, which was the first to circle the moon, in the Knight TV Studio. The event celebrates the 40th anniversary of the voyage.
