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Built to Survive, Prone to Suffer: How Human Evolution Shapes Modern Health
Why do our bodies come with so many trade-offs—like back pain, difficult childbirth, or diseases linked to inflammation? Our newest CARTA series Mismatch: Human Origins and Modern Disease explores how different traits in the human body evolve over time—some as early as 1.5 billion years ago—and how those adaptations continue to affect our health today.…
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Pier into the Past: Scripps Women Who Changed Ocean Science
The Birch Aquarium shines a spotlight on the remarkable women who have shaped the field of marine plankton research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Blending science, history, and art, Judit Hersko, presents her imaginative visual narrative series, “Pages from the Book of the Unknown Explorer.” Her performance transports viewers to the early days of Scripps…
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Inside “The Old Man”: Jeff Bridges and Amy Brenneman Reflect on Aging, Identity, and Connection
Acclaimed actors Jeff Bridges and Amy Brenneman joined a live audience at UC Santa Barbara to talk about their work on FX’s gripping psychological thriller, The Old Man. The series, which premiered in 2022, follows Dan Chase (Bridges), a former CIA operative who’s been living off the grid for decades. When an assassin tries to…
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Afro Italians on Screen: Stories of Resistance, Renaissance, and Community
Filmmakers Daphne Di Cinto and Medhin Paolos joins UCSB’s Stephanie Malia Hom to explore the history and lived experiences of Black African communities in Italy. Their discussion centers on two short films: Il Moro by Di Cinto and Asmarina by Paolos, each providing meaningful insights into Black identity, belonging, and resilience within Italian society. Di…
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Addressing Antisemitism on Campus: Lessons from History, Challenges for Today
In a time when hate speech and misinformation spread easily, it’s more important than ever to have honest conversations about antisemitism, history, and the role of higher education. In this powerful discussion, John A. Perez, Regent Emeritus of the University of California, sits down with Robert Williams, Ph.D., CEO of the USC Shoah Foundation, to…
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A Life Lesson in Climbing
When motivational speaker and expert climber Manley Feinberg sat down with Henry DeVries for UC San Diego’s Osher Author Talk, he brought more than tales of adventure—he brought a message about leadership, responsibility, and what it means to be truly anchored in life. In the conversation, Feinberg recounts a pivotal climb in 2022 on Yosemite’s…
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Author Mitch Albom Finds His Rainbow
Celebrated author Mitch Albom’s opening words on the 30th Anniversary Writer’s Symposium stage are an instant hit. Seated across from host Dean Nelson, Albom squirms in an oversized Queen Anne wingback chair. The moment sparks a memory of a particularly uncomfortable appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” when his feet dangled off the floor, leaving…
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From Caves to Skyscrapers, How Humans Have Built the World
Reaching 1,450 feet in the air, Willis Tower in Chicago was the tallest building on the planet for nearly a quarter of a century. It now ranks 26th, having long been surpassed by the towering Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which rises nearly 3,000 feet into the atmosphere. From a simple cave to buildings of steel…
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Fancy Dance: A Journey Through Culture, Language, and Identity
Fancy Dance is a heartfelt story about a Native American woman who faces the challenges of caring for her niece after her sister goes missing. Set on the Seneca-Cayuga Nation Reservation, the film explores themes of family, resilience, and cultural identity. Through the lens of a deeply personal story, Fancy Dance sheds light on the…
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Following in the Footsteps of a Famous Father
For many people, it would be hard to follow in the footsteps of a famous father. But for Rev. Dr. Bernice King, her calling to serve is a natural progression of being the daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr. “There’s good in the worst of us and there’s bad in the best of us. I…