-
Reviving Ocean Traditions: The Kumeyaay Cultural Renaissance
Long before it became home to Scripps Institution of Oceanography, it was, and is, the homeland of the Kumeyaay people. In a moving presentation as part of the Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Kumeyaay leaders Stan Rodriguez, Priscilla Ortiz Sawah, and Andrew James Pittman shared how their communities are reclaiming and revitalizing Indigenous ocean…
-
Remembering Together: Jews, Roma, and the Complexities of Memory
What happens when two persecuted groups—both targeted for annihilation—tell their stories side by side? That’s the question at the heart of Ari Joskowicz’s powerful exploration in Rain of Ash. Speaking on Holocaust Remembrance Day as part of UC San Diego’s Holocaust Living History Workshop, Joskowicz, professor of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University, reflects on the…
-
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.…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…