American Philosophical Society

High school seniors across the globe are gathering their caps and gowns and preparing for their next big chapter. What does that look like for students heading to college? In this Meeting Monday, hear Beverly Tatum’s take on liberal arts education and today’s students. Full talk: bit.ly/4o2L7N1

Shell shock, the thousand-yard stare—It’s never been easy for soldiers to return to civilian life after combat. This Memorial Day, our Meeting talk comes from Jennifer Keene on “Experiencing World War I,” sharing how veterans of WWI were supported, or forgotten, after service. https://bit.ly/4ujGY9K

“Save the bees.” Have you noticed an influx of signs, pins, or artwork with this slogan? Entomologist May Berenbaum explains why in this week’s Meeting Monday, “Bees in Crisis: Colony Collapse, Honey Laundering and Other Problems Bee-Setting American Apiculture." https://bit.ly/4um0t1w

From zebrafish to financial advice, visitors to the APS Neighborhood Fun Day had a lot of useful knowledge to share. What’s your bit of useful knowledge?

Airing tomorrow: the latest episode of the APS podcast “Useful Knowledge!" Hear the Honorable David Tatel discuss life as a civil rights lawyer, circuit judge of the US Court of Appeals, and author of a memoir about doing it all while coming to terms with his blindness. Apple podcasts and Spotify.

📱 Technology is more complicated than ever, and its impact on teens is a point of concern for researchers. This talk comes from Carrie James, Harvard Graduate School of Education, who works to find out how teens really use tech. @harvardeducation.bsky.social https://bit.ly/49kQBMV

Do music, nature, and science have anything in common? For composer and @ucsandiego.bsky.social Professor of Music Lei Liang, they are inseparable. He and his colleagues work together to capture the sounds of nature and put them to music. Learn more in this Meeting Monday. https://bit.ly/4tc5RD9

What does a scientist's fieldwork look like in the middle of the forest? In this Meeting Monday, biologist Merlin Sheldrake talks about it. Watch his talk, "Entangled Lives: Fungi, Ecology, and Us" to learn more about fungi, including its history, intelligence, and uses. https://bit.ly/4vHOgVQ

Do history and literature really provide "useful knowledge" in our fast-paced world? In this Week’s Meeting Monday, literary critic R. Howard Bloch discusses "Good Uses of the Humanities in Bad Times," or the irreplaceable lessons we can learn from the humanities. Full talk: https://bit.ly/4vyMYfI

Tune in tomorrow to episode 6 of the Useful Knowledge podcast guest-starring biochemist Michael Marletta. Learn how he found his niche and his thoughts on the past and future of biochemistry and serendipitous scientific discovery. Listen on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Our team has been planning and researching for years to make "These Truths" a reality. Now, it's open for all to see! Visit us today until 4 or from 5-7 PM for our opening reception featuring a reading by John Adams. Can't make it today? Join us Thursdays to Sundays from 10-5.

You know Thomas Paine as the author of Common Sense, a pamphlet that inspired Americans to fight for independence. In this Meeting Monday, learn from historian Edward G. Gray about another side of Paine—the architect who tried to unite Pennsylvanians with an iron bridge. https://bit.ly/4cp6svS

🔬 What can we learn from cells that reproduce to live on forever? In this Lightning Talk, Allan Spradling, scientist and APS Member, discusses germ cells, the immortal reproductive cells that have fascinated him throughout his distinguished career. @hhmi_science @carnegiescience

Who wants to live forever? In this week’s Meeting Monday, Joel Cohen (APS 1994), applied mathematician, discusses the possibilities of the human lifespan in his talk “Is a Limit to Length of Human Life Imminent?” Watch the full November 2013 talk here: https://bit.ly/4tdpjja

One of the ways the APS contributes “useful knowledge” to the world is through our elected membership, comprised of the top minds from diverse fields. In this short video, Alejandro de Ávila, Founding Director of the Ethnobotanical Garden of Oaxaca, discusses his important work.

How does the health of the planet affect the health of the human race? This week’s Meeting Monday from Kim Prather (APS 2022) at our November 2025 Member’s Meeting in La Jolla, California, handles this connection. Watch the full talk here: https://bit.ly/4rNMe3B

How many incredible discoveries have been made out of the blue–true “Eureka!” moments for their discoverers? At our last Member Meeting, Carla Shatz, neurobiologist and APS Member, joined us to discuss the future of this type of research. #UsefulKnowledge #Discovery #Science #Eureka

Many of the world's top colleges first opened their doors to women in the 20th century with backlash and struggle. This Meeting Monday, hear historian Nancy Weiss Malkiel talk about it in her captivating talk: “'Keep the Damned Women Out." https://bit.ly/4rqvJtR

The Center for Native American and Indigenous Studies at the APS maintains a wealth of archival materials related to Indigenous languages and cultures and works with communities to help them preserve their histories. Hear anthropologist Jerry Sabloff talk about this work.

Tune in tomorrow for a new episode of the APS Useful Knowledge podcast with Neil Shubin, palentologist and evolutionary biologist! What secrets about the past, present, and future of life on Earth and beyond are hidden in polar ice? Learn tomorrow on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. ❄️

The APS Museum is gearing up for a new and exciting exhibition, opening April 10. In this week's Meeting Monday, historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich discusses how historians and museums use objects to keep history alive. Watch the full talk here: https://bit.ly/4crTtKq

Each April and November, APS Members, Fellows, and friends gather for lectures and conversation on diverse topics. Last November, some of our guests shared their thoughts on their careers and projects. In this video, hear from APS Fellow Owen Doonan about his life’s work.

This Meeting Moday comes from Julie Flavell who joined us in 2022 to discuss "The Howe Dynasty." She shared what historians writing about famous men can learn from women's history and biographies, and her work on the women central to the Howe British military family's story. https://bit.ly/4kZ1Pvf