Princeton University Podcasts

Marci A. Hamilton, The Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law; Erik Michael Mazur, Bucknell University; and Winnifred F. Sullivan, University at Buffalo Law School, comment on the recent book by Christopher L. Eisgruber and Lawrence G. Sager, Religious Freedom and the Constitution. Christopher L. Eisgruber, Provost of Princeton University, responds and answers questions from the audience. Sponsored by the Center for the Study of Religion.

Why look at food? Because its constantly changing appearance tells us a great deal about ourselves and our society. The lecture will examine the subject of food from many directions, exploring the way it has looked at different times in history and in different places in the contemporary world. The talk will consider markets, the table, and media of all sorts. Reichl, former restaurant critic for the New York Times, is currently editor in chief of Gourmet magazine. She has written several "culinary memoirs" including Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table (1999); Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table (2001); and most recently, Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise (2005). Before turning to writing she was a chef and coowner of the Swallow Restaurant in Berkeley, California. A J. Edward Farnum Lecture

"A Worldview through the Computational Lens III", part 3. From Google to Genomics, the notion of an algorithm underlies much of the "computational universe" we live in today. The algorithm is the fundamental object of study in theoretical computer science. The power and limits of efficient algorithms hold the key to such diverse questions as "What can we know about the world?", "What is intelligence?", and "Can poker be played over the telephone?" A Louis Clark Vanuxem Lecture (cosponsored by Princeton University Press)

"A Worldview through the Computational Lens III", part 2. From Google to Genomics, the notion of an algorithm underlies much of the "computational universe" we live in today. The algorithm is the fundamental object of study in theoretical computer science. The power and limits of efficient algorithms hold the key to such diverse questions as "What can we know about the world?", "What is intelligence?", and "Can poker be played over the telephone?" A Louis Clark Vanuxem Lecture (cosponsored by Princeton University Press)

"A Worldview through the Computational Lens III", part 1. From Google to Genomics, the notion of an algorithm underlies much of the "computational universe" we live in today. The algorithm is the fundamental object of study in theoretical computer science. The power and limits of efficient algorithms hold the key to such diverse questions as "What can we know about the world?", "What is intelligence?", and "Can poker be played over the telephone?" A Louis Clark Vanuxem Lecture (cosponsored by Princeton University Press)

The visual culture of ancient Greece has left a record rich with information on the active role of women in the organization and functioning of cult. Connelly draws upon images from vase painting, portrait sculpture, votive reliefs, and funerary monuments to bring to life the movement of women within ritual space. Considering this material in the context of what we know from texts and inscriptions, she argues a wider visibility for women across the polis landscape than has previously been acknowledged. Connelly investigates the ways in which portrait statues and architectural sculpture, including karyatids and figured column drums, may reflect the ritual circulation of women in procession and dance across the sacred temenos. We may thus envision the living sanctuary and the relationships of topography, image, and ritual action within this space. A Spencer Trask Lecture

This year's program will include a keynote address, recognition of New Jersey contest winners in the essay, poster and video categories and musical performances.

"The Construction of the Cosmos" begins with a brief history of the cosmos and a discussion of the threats to the existence of any galaxy. The notion of "bio-friendliness" and the optimization of life will be juxtaposed with the concept of a "galactic habitable zone," which suggests a finite age for life in the cosmos and thus a refutation of intelligent design. A Stafford Little Lecture

This lecture will discuss the notion of a "habitable zone" around any sun, what a star system optimally designed for life would look like, and finally how our solar system measures up. A Stafford Little Lecture

Beginning with various definitions of life and a brief history of how life arose and evolved on Earth, the first lecture will consider the diversity of possible life, basic precepts of Darwin's theory of evolution and the theory’s battles with creationism, and finally how life is a series of biological compromises superimposed on historical contingencies and structural constraints. A Stafford Little Lecture