The Watson Lectures

collage of photos of researchers and a podium

For more than 100 years, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the public.

Join us on campus for an evening of science, engineering, and conversation

Caltech welcomes you to the Watsons, an engaging lecture series in Beckman Auditorium, where you will hear from scientists and engineers on the forefront of discovery who are expanding knowledge, tackling society's most pressing challenges, and inventing the technologies of the future.

Free and open to the public, the Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series offers a unique and accessible opportunity to learn more about cutting-edge science directly from Caltech's premier researchers. Come early to mingle with your neighbors over food, drink and music, as well as interactive displays related to the evening's topic. Then head inside to hear a stimulating talk and stay to ask your burning questions.

The live event is in-person and a recording will be made available on our Youtube channel.

Jump to: Upcoming Lectures • Past Lectures

Image of the gene pool at night with Beckman auditorium in the background

Hosea Nelson on stage at Beckman with projection screen behind

Hosea Nelson and Crystal Dilworth in chairs on stage at Beckman Auditorium

Evening Schedule

6 p.m. — Activities and music. Food, drinks, and books available for purchase.7 p.m. — Doors open7:30 p.m. — Talk and Q&A8:30 p.m. — Post-talk concessions and conversation

A Legacy of Sharing Science with the Community

Earnest Watson conducting his famous "liquid-air" experiment at Caltech in 1953 during a Friday Evening Demonstration Lecture

The Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series began in 1922. Originally known as the "Friday Evening Demonstration Lectures," the series was started by Earnest C. Watson, a professor of physics at Caltech from 1919 to 1959, in order to share modern scientific advances with the public and foster a greater appreciation for the impact of fundamental research. For the talks, Watson would stand in front of a packed lecture hall to deliver his famed "liquid-air" demonstration, in which he would open a bottle of air that had been cooled to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and the contents would appear to "boil" out of the bottle and engulf Watson in white fumes. While Watson's famed demonstrations would no longer meet current safety guidelines, the spirit of his talks and his interest in inspiring an appreciation and understanding of science remains and has motivated generations of faculty to share the details of their work.

Eventually renamed in his honor, the Watson Lectures continue to spotlight pathbreaking Caltech research.

Read more about the legacy of Earnest C. Watson here.

Upcoming Lectures

December 13, 2023 7:30 pm

Watson Lecture - Wearable Biosensors and the Future of Personalized Medicine

Beckman Auditorium

2023-24 Watson Season At-a-Glance

All lectures take place in the Beckman Auditorium on the Caltech campus.

October 18, 2023

Hosea Nelson
Professor of Chemistry
Learn about nature as a treasure trove of potential treatments for disease.

View Recording

November 8, 2023

Richard Andersen
James G. Boswell Professor of Neuroscience; Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center Leadership Chair; Director, Chen Brain-Machine Interface Center
Learn about neural prosthetics to help paralyzed people.

View Recording

December 13, 2023

Wei Gao
Assistant Professor of Medical Engineering; Investigator, Heritage Medical Research Institute; Ronald and JoAnne Willens Scholar
Learn about wearable sweat sensors that more accurately monitor health.

January 31, 2024

Bethany Ehlmann
Professor of Planetary Science; Associate Director, Keck Institute for Space Studies
Learn about the Lunar Trailblazer mission to investigate water on the moon.

February 7, 2024

Shrinivas (Shri) Kulkarni
George Ellery Hale Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science
Learn about the Zwicky Transient Facility's latest discoveries.

March 13, 2024

Diana Kormos Buchwald
Robert M. Abbey Professor of History; Director and General Editor, The Einstein Papers Project
Learn about Einstein's time in Pasadena as reflected in the Einstein Papers.

April 24, 2024

Zhongwen Zhan
Professor of Geophysics
Learn about the use of fiber optic cables to better detect earthquakes.

May 22, 2024

Carver Mead
Gordon & Betty Moore Professor of Engineering & Applied Science, Emeritus
Learn about the history of science.

Explore Past Lectures

Where do medical drugs come from? That is a great question—one that often conjures visions of both scientists in the lab and executives in the boardrooms of multibillion-dollar corporations. While both of these images may be accurate, we often overlook the most interesting place where disease treatments arise: nature. In fact, more than half of on-market drugs are derived from living organisms. In this talk, Hosea Nelson (PhD '13), professor of chemistry, will discuss his research group's effort to develop new platforms for molecular discovery using advanced methods in electron microscopy.

Unlocking Movement: Helping Paralyzed People Use Thought to Control Computers and Robotic Limbs

"Working with humans with tetraplegia is enormously satisfying and a chance to see your science being directly translated to a clinical setting," says Andersen, who designed and tested a neural prosthesis system to record the electrical activity of nerve cells in the brains of paralyzed participants. The system uses computer algorithms to interpret the patients' intentions based on these neural signals, then converts them into electrical control signals to operate external devices. "When we say tetraplegic, it means patients can't move or feel any of their limbs, so they are severely handicapped as a result. The work is a real honor because the clinical trials are very exciting for them and us. They're the heroes in this field."

Watch more past Watson Lectures on Caltech's YouTube channel.