Do you love to learn? Are you interested in the arts and humanities, science or music? Brush up on your knowledge through free public lectures offered through our office. The series runs during the fall and spring semesters and features some of CU Boulder's most dynamic faculty.

This fall, our lectures will be online and will include pre-recorded and live portions as well audience interaction and questions.

Registration for each virtual lecture is required. Click on the registration buttons below. Note that you do not need to download Zoom to your computer to join the webinar once you are registered.

Fall 2020 Lectures

A Mission to Touch the Sun

Assistant Professor David Malaspina
Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences

September 19 • 1–2:30 p.m.

Click here to watch recorded lecture

Compromise in an Era of Party Polarization

Professor Jennifer Wolak
Political Science

October 10 • 1–2:30 p.m.

Click here to register

Reflections on Musical Time

Associate Professor Yonatan Malin
College of Music

November 21 • 1–2:30 p.m.

Click here to register

If You Go

Our lectures will be offered virtually this fall as a Zoom webinar. You will need to pre-register for each lecture. Note that you do not need to download Zoom to your computer to join the webinar once you are registered. You will receive a link to the webinar once you register. The lectures are in English. Our office coordinates the programming, which is supported by the Office of the Chancellor, the Office of the Provost and the Division of Continuing Education at CU Boulder.

Never miss another lecture! Sign up to receive emails by completing this form. Learn about CU on the Weekend and other community outreach events by following CU Outreach on Twitter and Facebook.

All programs are subject to change. If you signed up for emailed event reminders, you will receive notification if a program is cancelled or rescheduled. This web page is the primary source for most up-to-date lecture information. Please check back here the day of the event.

Recorded lectures from February 2020 and earlier can be watched by clicking here. Lectures recorded after Sept. 2020 can be accessed on the individual lecture webpages.

For questions, email weekend@colorado.edu.

The Growing Field of Cannabis Research
Feb. 15

Jazz, Dada and the Music of Paris after World War I
Sept. 28

An Arctic Perspective on Contemporary Global Warming
Oct. 12

Performance and Politics: The Rise and Fall of the Brazilian Left
Nov. 16

Media Challenges in Campaign 2020
Dec. 7

Learning to Live with Megafires
Jan. 26, 1–3 p.m.

Pop Music Video and the Cuban Nation
Feb. 23, 1–3 p.m.

Ancient Aliens and Contemporary Archaeology
March 16, 1–3 p.m.

Christians, Muslims and Jews in Medieval Spain
April 21, 1–3 p.m.

Bernstein as Teacher: Exploring the Language of Music
Sept. 8, 1–3 p.m.

Building for Eternity: The Romans Conquer the Sea
Oct. 13, 1–3 p.m.

The Knowledge Illusion
Nov. 3, 1–3 p.m.

CU Rockets: The Heroes of Future NASA Missions
Dec. 1, 1–3 p.m.

The Dark Side of Government Speech
Jan. 27, 1–3 p.m.

Plants That Unmask Criminals
Feb. 24, 1–4 p.m.

The Wild Lives of Asteroids
March 17, 1–3 p.m.

Environmental History of the High Rockies
April 21, 1–3 p.m.

What do you Hear? Listening to Modernist Music
Sept. 30, 1–3 p.m.  

Balancing Oil, Gas, Air and Water Resources
Oct. 14, 1–4 p.m.

Keeping Politics From Derailing Critical Climate Action
Nov. 4, 1–3 p.m.

How Renewable Technologies can Transform Energy
Dec. 9, 1–4 p.m.

What Darwin Didn't Know About Animal Evolution 
Feb. 11, 1–3 p.m.

Korey Wise and Other Wrongful Convictions
Feb. 25, 1–4 p.m.

Mayan Commoners and Their Uncommon Lives
March 11, 1–4 p.m.

Chinese and American Views on the Media's Role
April 22, 1–3 p.m.

CU in the Great War
Sept. 24, 1–3 p.m.

The Undertold Story of how Latinos Shaped Boulder County
Oct. 22, 9–11 a.m.

Justice in a Warming World
Nov. 5, 9–11 a.m.

A Musical Exploration of Grief Beyond Words
Nov. 12, 1–3 p.m.

Shattering and Steaming Mars a Recipe for Life?
Dec. 3, 1–4 p.m.