In this series, experts provide timely analysis and insights about topics of national and global importance and engage in real-time Q&A with the audience. The Office of Interdisciplinary Initiatives hosts the series.
Recent event
The solar eclipse
Friday, April 5| 2 p.m. EDT
Johns Hopkins University experts discuss the April 8 solar eclipse, the science behind it, and the elements that will make it a singular viewing experience for millions of people.
Participants
The following experts participated:
Ray Jayawardhana, the moderator, is an astrophysicist who studies the diversity, origins, and evolution of planetary systems. He is also the provost at Johns Hopkins University.
Kevin Lewis is a planetary geophysicist who works with the Mars Curiosity Rover. He studies the geology of planets, from the scale of a grain of sand all the way up to the crust of a planet.
Meredith MacGregor is an astrophysicist who uses the James Webb and other space telescopes to study the impact of stellar activity on planetary atmospheres and surface life.
Bill Blair is an astrophysicist and research professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. He studies supernova remnants.
Members of the media can direct questions to jhunews@jhu.edu
Please note: This event will only be livestreamed. There is not an in-person attendance option.
Experts discuss air quality concerns stemming from wildfires—including those currently burning in Canada and blanketing much of the eastern U.S. in smoke and haze—their health impact, and how to combat them in the future.
Johns Hopkins experts discuss the implications of the conclusion of the federal public health emergency for COVID-19 treatment, vaccines, and data collection.
Advances in artificial intelligence: Defining a new era
Johns Hopkins experts explore the latest developments in artificial intelligence, including AI language learning programs such as ChatGPT, disinformation campaigns, ethical concerns involving artificial intelligence, and AI in health care.
The second event in a two-part series of expert briefings examines the potential policy and political changes resulting from the 2022 U.S. midterm elections. Topics covered included climate, health care, education, and international relations.
The first of a two-part series of expert briefings on the 2022 U.S. midterms addressed civic participation and voter turnout, social polarization, the crisis of liberal democracy, protest and unrest, and historical context.
The James Webb Space Telescope and a New Era of Scientific Discovery
Topics discussed include why James Webb Space Telescope was built, what was required to get it ready for science operations, the Webb’s first full-color images and what they revealed, JWST’s first year of observations, and the future of its science mission.
Topics covered include the prevention and treatment of monkeypox, how monkeypox is transmitted and ways to contain its spread, the social context for monkeypox and ways to reduce stigma around the outbreaks, and the availability and distribution of monkeypox vaccines.
Responding to gun violence with effective and fair solutions
Topics discussed include the challenge gun violence poses for American democracy, which gun laws are effective, Extreme Risk Protection Orders and how they can help to prevent gun violence, research on public opinion about solutions to gun violence, and measures to promote student safety and health in a time of rising gun violence.
This briefing included discussion of the historical backstory to the war and the likely consequences for international order, the humanitarian crisis and how it has evolved, the conflict’s impacts on global food systems and food security, and the war’s effects on European politics and the European Union.
This briefing included discussion of the historical backstory to the conflict and the significance of this moment in history, the human costs of the war and the evolving humanitarian crisis, the threat of Russian weapon of mass destruction use in Ukraine; cyber threats to Ukraine and other democracies, and the war’s implications for economic globalization.
