Host Harry Kreisler welcomes biophysicist Chikashi Toyoshima for a discussion of his remarkable achievement in capturing the first images of cellular activity as the calcium ion pump makes possible the contraction and relaxation of muscle tissue on a signal from the brain. Topics covered include: how structure determines process in cellular activity, the technical innovations required for this breakthrough in the biosciences, and why visualization is so important in understanding cellular processes. He also reflects on creativity in science and how the images he captured affected his understanding of humankind's place in the universe. (52 minutes)

Host Harry Kreisler welcomes historian and novelist Michael Oren for a discussion of the search for truth in his historical studies and in his novels. He reflects on the skills and temperament required to do history and fiction focusing on his study of the six day war in the Middle East and his novel Reunion. (54 min)

Classicist and columnist Victor Davis Hanson talks with UC Berkeley's Harry Kreisler about the classics, war, and what we stand for in the post-9/11 world. (56 min)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Professor Peter Dale Scott for a discussion of secrecy and its consequences in the making of U.S. foreign policy. Their discussion focuses on CIA interventions, the rise of Al Qaeda, the role of U.S. government in supporting Islamic jihadists to counter Soviet power during the Cold War, and the response of the Bush administration to the 911 attack. (59 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Mark Leonard, Executive Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, for a discussion of the ideas that are influencing the domestic and foreign policy debates in China. Through a careful examination of what Chinese intellectuals have to say on topics such as democracy, economy, and international relations, Leonard finds distinctive Chinese worldviews. The West must understand the contours of these debates to effectively address China's rise because they offer important insights into how China will use its enormous power to shape world order in the twenty-first century. (59 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Louise Richard, Executive Dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, for a discussion of how to understand terrorism and contain the threat. (56 minutes)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes economist Anders Aslund for a discussion of Russia after the fall of communism. He analyzes the reasons for the succcessful implementation of a market economy and the reasons for the failure to achieve a democratic revolution. He compares the leadership of Gorbachev, Yelstin, and Putin. Anders Aslund also discusses the implications of authoritarian rule by Putin for Russia and for relations with the West. (55 minutes)

Conversations Host Harry Kreisler welcomes philosopher Martha Nussbaum for a discussion of women and human development, religious freedom, and liberal education. (55 min)

Leaders in the field of biological diversity present an overview of emergent issues in biodiversity, from the surrounding flora and fauna to the genes deep within us. (117 minutes)

The potential of biotechnology to improve the condition of human life in developing countries is gaining credence. Robert Timmer, Ph.D. discusses how biotechnology could impact the economies of developing countries in terms of raising agricultural production while bringing benefits to healthcare, industry and environment. (28 minutes)

Scientist and author Edward O. Wilson, draws on studies from a broad spectrum of disciplines to show how various fields of inquiry, and especially the humanities and sciences, intersect with each other. According to Wilson, "the greatest enterprise of the mind has always been and always will be the attempted linkage of the sciences and the humanities." (58 minutes)

As part of UC San DiegoŐs Division of Physical Sciences 50th Anniversary Lecture Series, join UC San DiegoŐs Tom Murphy on an exploration of how his project looking for deviations in EinsteinŐs theory of general relativity led to the discovery of the Soviet Lunokhod 1 lunar rover that vanished mysteriously nearly 40 years ago. (58 minutes)

UCSD Division of Physical Sciences presents a discussion on global warming and the prospects of a hydrogen economy. The featured speakers are: Joseph J. Romm, executive director of the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions and author of The Hype About Hydrogen - Fact and Fiction in the Race to Save the Climate; and Franklin M. (Lynn) Orr, Jr. professor of petroleum engineering and project director of the Global Climate and Energy Project at Stanford University. (59 minutes)

Dean Kim Barrett hosts eminent respiratory physiologist John West in a discussion of his storied career and research experiences. (58 minutes)

For more than two decades J. Craig Venter and his research teams have been pioneers in genomic research. Regarded as one of the leading scientist of the 21st century, Venter discusses how he is applying tools and techniques developed to sequence the human genomes to discover new genes of microbes from around the world. (57 minutes)

The rapid depletion of fossil fuels and the rising sea level from the warming of the earthŐs atmosphere are converging to dramatically alter our future. Edward Mazria, founder of Architecture 2030, unveils a new study of sea level rise showing fly-over 3D images depicting potentially calamitous coastal and national impacts. (57 minutes)

Dr. Joseph Bookstein argues that the real cause of global warming is not the burning of fossil fuels but rather the needs and wants of the global human population, now over 6.6 billion. He discusses methods, feasibility, and implementation strategies for voluntary population reduction. (52 minutes)

Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel Corporation, to whom the term "Moore's Law" is attributed, speaks about the ubiquitous microchip. (27 minutes)

Despite dramatic increases in the number of women earning advanced degrees in science and engineering, women remain scarce at the senior ranks in these disciplines in both industry and academia. Dr. Elga Wasserman, author of "The Door in the Dream" speaks about possible causes for this imbalance and suggest steps that can be taken in order to remove the barriers that persist. (47 minutes)

Renowned science scholar Naomi Oreskes and science producer Gene Rosow discuss how Hollywood and the news media portray global warming and what responsibility scientists have to educate the public about global warming. (57 minutes)