Lecture Series

Thank you for helping make the 2024 Lecture Series a great success. We will update this page with details on the 2025 series when available. 

The 2024 Lecture Series

This spring, join the Natural History Museum of Utah as we explore the latest thinking on thinking in our 2024 Lecture Series: The Science of Intelligence: Human. Plant. Animal. Machine.

What we know about intelligence is changing fast. Scientists are publishing groundbreaking research expanding our understanding of how animals view the world around them. We hear news of surprising findings that suggest plants may “think” in ways we never considered possible. And with Chat GPT’s sudden arrival, artificial intelligence – formerly the realm of science fiction – is now a presence in our daily lives.

Through a world-class lineup of experts, this year’s Lecture Series will delve deep into the science of reason and understanding, the ability to solve complex problems, and more. These four science storytellers will explore intelligence across a variety of forms – from the untold impacts of artificial intelligence to the hidden realms of animal senses to the interconnectedness of trees.

This year’s Lecture Series theme is inspired by the Museum’s current special exhibition, Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall. The exhibition shares the remarkable story of the life and work of renowned scientist Jane Goodall, whose early research delivered groundbreaking revelations on the intelligence of humankind’s closest living relatives, chimpanzees.