PSW Science
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PSW Science is a leading science education organization in Washington, DC. Founded in 1871 as the P Election to membership is by the General Committee.
PSW grew out of meetings that were held Saturday afternoons in the middle of the Nineteenth century in the home of Joseph Henry, an early researcher in magnetism and the discoverer of electromagnetic self-induction. It was an association of individuals who were interested in science, but in Joseph Henry's words, would discuss “All subjects of interest to intelligent men.” Now, of course, the society includes women as well. From these informal meetings, PSW was founded on March 13, 1871. The aims of the Society are the promotion of science, the advancement of learning, and the free exchange of views among its members on scientific subjects. From 1878 to 1887 meetings were held in the library of the Surgeon's General Office in Ford's Theater (converted into Government office space some time after President Lincoln was assassinated there). Since March 26, 1887, the date of the 300th meeting of the Society, the regular meeting place has been the assembly hall of the Cosmos Club, now called the John Wesley Powell auditorium. Today, PSW continues the traditions set by Joseph Henry in 1871 and continues to discuss “all subjects of interest to intelligent men” and women. Membership in the Society is open to all persons who are interested in the aims of the Society. The application for membership is a simple form requesting professional and educational information.
09/29/2026
On September 11, 2026 at the 2,540th meeting of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Jonathan Arenberg of Northrop Grumman, presented a lecture titled “Heroic Engineering of the James Webb Space Telescope: Lessons Learned for Future Flagship Missions”. During the lecture, the speaker described many of the engineering challenges associated with this unprecedented mission. He showed images and videos of the construction, assembly, testing, and finally the launching of JWST. He described how many of the lessons learned on JWST could be applied to future missions, such as the “Habitable Worlds Observatory”. For more information, please visit the PSW website (pswscience.org) or the PSW Science YouTube channel.
PSW Science PSW Science is a leading science education organization in Washington, DC, founded 1871 as the Philosophical Society of Washington
09/25/2026
🔔 Reminder: PSW Lecture Tonight at 8 PM
Join us tonight:
Digitization of the U.S. Healthcare System and Early Insights from the AI Era
🎙️ Julia Adler-Milstein
Professor of Medicine
Chief, Division of Clinical Informatics & Digital Transformation
University of California, San Francisco
📍 Cosmos Club
🕗 Tonight at 8 PM
▶️ Watch live: https://m.youtube.com/live/jhHpC9BkkYo
Sponsored by PSW Science Member Maria Zemankova.
LIVE! PSW 2541 Digitization of the US Healthcare System and Early Insights from the AI Era Join PSW Science® on September 25 at 8 PM as we welcome Julia Adler...
09/14/2026
PSW Lecture | Minutes
On June 26, 2026 at the 2,538th meeting of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Douglas Wallace of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania, presented a lecture titled “Mitochondria and Their Roles in Health and Disease”. During the lecture, the speaker described mitochondria as the “powerhouse” of cells. He described the role mitochondria play in a variety of disease conditions. He discussed the potential to reduce both the cause and symptoms of disease using mitochondrial therapies. For more information, please visit the PSW website (pswscience.org) or the PSW Science YouTube channel.
PSW Science PSW Science is a leading science education organization in Washington, DC, founded 1871 as the Philosophical Society of Washington
09/11/2026
Tonight at PSW Science
One mirror. 18 segments. 1 million miles from Earth.
How do you build a telescope that must fold into a rocket, unfold in space, and work flawlessly in the coldest reaches of the Solar System?
Tonight, Jonathan W. Arenberg, Northrop Grumman Fellow and a key engineer behind the James Webb Space Telescope, takes us behind the engineering of Webb—from its revolutionary architecture and cryogenic systems to its deployable mirror, testing, and the challenges overcome over decades.
🔭 Early images. Breakthrough science. Engineering lessons for the next generation of flagship missions.
📅 Today, September 11
⏰ 8:00 PM
📍 The Cosmos Club, Washington, DC
09/02/2026
One mirror. 18 segments. 1 million miles from Earth.
How do you build a telescope that must fold itself into a rocket, unfold in space, and work flawlessly in the coldest reaches of the Solar System?
For the first lecture of the Fall 2026, at PSW Science, Jonathan W. Arenberg, Northrop Grumman Fellow and a key engineer behind the James Webb Space Telescope, takes us behind the engineering of Webb, from its revolutionary architecture and cryogenic systems to its deployable mirror, testing, and the challenges overcome over decades.
🔭 Early images. Breakthrough science. Engineering lessons for the next generation of flagship missions.
📅 September 11
⏰ 8:00 PM
📍 The Cosmos Club, Washington, DC
06/26/2026
🧬 What if the key to understanding Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, and aging lies within the tiny powerhouses of our cells?
Join us tonight for a thought-provoking PSW Science lecture with Dr. Douglas Wallace:
Mitochondria and Their Roles in Health and Disease
Discover how mitochondrial biology is reshaping our understanding of human health and some of the world’s most complex diseases.
🕗 :8:00 PM
📍:John Wesley Powell Auditorium
💻 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCG_b1V7N5c
LIVE! PSW 2538 Mitochondria and Their Roles in Health and Disease Join PSW Science® on June 26 at 8 PM as we welcome Douglas Wallace,...
06/20/2026
What if the key to understanding Alzheimer's, diabetes, depression, cancer, and even aging isn't just in our genes—but in how our cells generate energy?
Join pioneering mitochondrial geneticist Douglas C. Wallace for a fascinating exploration of how mitochondria the powerhouses of our cells may transform our understanding of health and disease.
Discover how mitochondrial DNA, inherited exclusively from our mothers, influences everything from brain function and metabolism to aging and disease.
Sponsored by PSW Science Members Larry Millstein & Robin Taylor.
06/11/2026
PSW Lecture Tonight | 8 PM ET
Thought Emerges from Neural Dynamics: How Science is Unraveling the Nature of Cognition and Consciousness
Join us tonight as Earl K. Miller explores how thought and consciousness may emerge from the dynamic activity of the brain. Drawing on decades of pioneering research, Dr. Miller will discuss how neural oscillations (“brain waves”) may help organize cognition, executive control, and conscious experience.
📍 Philosophical Society of Washington
🕗 8:00 PM ET
🎥 Watch Live: https://www.youtube.com/live/HL7DSZngiLc?is=XHwFKU0CRks0PnzM
Sponsored by PSW Science Member Tim Thomas.
LIVE! PSW 2537 Thought Emerges from Neural Dynamics Join PSW Science® on THURSDAY June 11 at 8 PM as we welcome Earl Miller, Picower Professor of Neuroscience.During the question and answer period, in-person a...
06/05/2026
🧠 PSW Science Lecture - Thursday
Join us for the 2,537th Meeting of the Society featuring:
Thought Emerges from Neural Dynamics: How Science is Unraveling the Nature of Cognition and Consciousness
Featuring:
Earl K. Miller
Picower Professor of Neuroscience
MIT Picower Institute for Learning and Memory & Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences
📅 Thursday, June 11, 2026
🕗 Lecture: 8:00 PM
📍 Powell Auditorium at the Cosmos Club
Schedule:
• Pre-Lecture Reception – 5:45 PM
• Dinner – 6:30 PM*
• Lecture – 8:00 PM
• Speaker Reception Following the Lecture
Sponsored by PSW Science Member Tim Thomas
Science. Seriously.
05/31/2026
On April 24, 2026, at the 2,535th meeting of the Philosophical Society of Washington, Harris Lewin of Arizona State University presented a lecture titled “The Earth BioGenome Project: Reading the Library of Life.”
During the lecture, Dr. Lewin discussed the ambitious goal of the Earth BioGenome Project (EBP): to characterize and map the genomes of approximately 1.6 million known eukaryotic species within the next decade.
He highlighted the project’s progress to date, noting that the EBP has produced more than 5,600 genomes, with over 4,000 meeting the standard for “high-quality reference genomes.”
For more information, visit the PSW website (pswscience.org) or explore recordings on the PSW Science YouTube channel.
PSW Science PSW Science is a leading science education organization in Washington, DC, founded 1871 as the Philosophical Society of Washington
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