Former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt speaks with UC San Diego’s Peter H. Smith about her kidnapping by FARC guerillas, her six-year long captivity and dramatic rescue, and her extensive work raising awareness of the plight of victims of terrorism throughout the world. Series: "Revelle Forum" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 20013]

Robert Winter, UCLA professor of music and Presidential Chair in Music and Interactive Arts, treats the audience to a lively and seamless blending of art and technology in the 108th Faculty Research Lecture. And that is precisely the point behind Winter’s talk in which he explores three fugues by Bach and a waltz by Chopin with a mixture of talk, piano performances, and an incredibly active, animated screen. Series: "UCLA Faculty Research Lectures" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 19381]

In this presentation at UCSB, His Holiness the Dalai Lama turns to one of his favorite themes: the importance of compassion. Far from being a uniquely Buddhist concern, the Dalai Lama explains why caring for others can be the basis for a rich and rewarding life for all people. Series: "Voices" [Humanities] [Show ID: 17091]

Robert H. Lustig, MD, UCSF Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Endocrinology, explores the damage caused by sugary foods. He argues that fructose (too much) and fiber (not enough) appear to be cornerstones of the obesity epidemic through their effects on insulin. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 16717]

Marian Wright Edelman, the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, is the author of the bestseller “The Measure of Our Success – A Letter to My Children and Yours” and eight other books. The first black woman admitted to the Mississippi Bar, she worked as counsel for the Poor People’s Campaign begun by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She discusses her newest work The Sea is So Wide and My Boat is So Small – Charting a Course for the Next Generation. Series: "Voices" [Humanities]...

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, screenwriter, columnist and short story writer Michael Chabon’s books include “Mysteries of Pittsburgh,” “Wonder Boys,” “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay,” and most recently, “The Yiddish Policeman’s Union.” Series: "Story Hour in the Library" [Humanities] [Show ID: 15434]

Revolutionary poet, playwright, and activist Amiri Baraka is recognized as the founder of the Black Arts Movement, a literary period that began in Harlem in the 1960s and forever changed the look, sound, and feel of American poetry. Series: "Lunch Poems Reading Series" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 13561]

Distinguished law scholar Elizabeth Warren teaches contract law, bankruptcy, and commercial law at Harvard Law School. She is an outspoken critic of America’s credit economy, which she has linked to the continuing rise in bankruptcy among the middle-class. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 12620]

Tune in for this unusual presentation on autism by someone with autism. Animal Science professor Temple Grandin, who designs livestock handling facilities, discusses the value of early intervention in autism, and about medications. Other topics include her sensory sensitivities and how she manages them, how she and other autistic people think, and social relationships and careers. Series: "MIND Institute Lecture Series on Neurodevelopmental Disorders" [Health and Medicine] [Professional...

Award-winning writer Maxine Hong Kingston is known for her works reflecting on Chinese-American culture and heritage. She is the author most recently of The Fifth Book of Peace, and won the National Book Award for her 1980 novel China Men. In 1997, she received the National Humanities Medal from President Bill Clinton. A native of California, Kingston is now a professor emerita at UC Berkeley. Series: "Great Minds Gather Here" [Humanities] [Show ID: 12224]

The UC Davis Mondavi Center presents bestselling author and UC Berkeley journalism professor Michael Pollan. He explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the twenty-first century. Michael Pollan is the author, most recently, of The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. Series: "Mondavi Center Presents" [Humanities] [Show ID: 12176]

In this edition of "Grey Matters," Aniruddh Patel, of the Neurosciences Institute, discusses what music can teach us about the brain, and what brain science, in turn, can reveal about music. Series: "Grey Matters" [Science] [Show ID: 11189]

Archbishop Desmond Tutu was awarded the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for his immense contribution to the cause of human rights. He spent years working to create a democratic and just society without racial divisions in South Africa. In 1995 Tutu was chosen by President Nelson Mandela to chair South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission and investigate the crimes committed during the apartheid regime. Since 2000 the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre has promoted ethical, visionary and values-based...

Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Presidential Medal of Freedom and the rank of Grand Officer in the French Legion of Honor, Elie Wiesel is the author of more than 40 books. Using his talents as a teacher and storyteller, Wiesel defends human rights and promotes peace throughout the world. Series: "Herman P. and Sophia Taubman Endowed Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 6716]