Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

RW Moriarty Science Seminars

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R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: Lightning Talks from Carnegie Museum Scientists

Natural History in a Flash: Lightning Talks from Carnegie Museum Scientists

When: Thursday, May 7, 2026, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom; Reception to follow in Café Carnegie

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Meet a variety of Carnegie Museum of Natural History scientists in charge of the museum’s contemporary research and vast collections of specimens and objects. Join us for quick talks that highlight research and scientific activities happening daily at the museum and stay after the talks to interact with CMNH Science staff in a fun, informal setting.

Please join us for a reception in Café Carnegie immediately following the seminar.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Sign-up below to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

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R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: Testing the “Sixth Sense” of Anuran Amphibians

Talk: Testing the “Sixth Sense” of Anuran Amphibians

Speaker: Dr. Rafael Marquez, Senior Researcher, Museo Nacional Ciencias Naturales

When: Thursday, April 9, 2026, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom; Reception to follow in Café Carnegie

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Anuran amphibians (adult frogs and toads) have a very unique adaptation of the inner ear that detects vibrations from soil, water, and plants. Dr. Rafael Marquez, Senior Researcher at the Museo Nacional Ciencias Naturales in Spain, will describe field tests with the emissions of vibrations to shed light on the selective advantage of this seismic detector.

Please join us for a reception in Café Carnegie immediately following the seminar.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Sign-up below to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars

Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series.

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R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: A Search for Evidence of Past Habitability in Jezero Crater, Mars

Talk: A Search for Evidence of Past Habitability in Jezero Crater, Mars

Speaker: Dr. Sergei Bykov, Assistant Research Professor of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh

When: Monday, March 9, 2026, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Water-bearing rocks and minerals on Mars, such as opals, are key to understanding the planet’s past habitability and identifying where water once existed or may still be present today. In this talk Dr. Sergei Bykov from the University of Pittsburgh will share his research on recent data returned from NASA’s Perseverance rover mission. This work includes detailed analysis of the structure and hydration of opals in Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s collection.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Sign-up below to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcoming R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars

Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series.

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R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: Anti-Racist Initiatives in Exhibition Development at Science Museums

Talk: Exhibiting Race: Anti-Racist Initiatives in Exhibition Development at Science Museums

Speaker: Joanne Jones-Rizzi, Vice President of Science, Equity, and Education at the Science Museum of Minnesota

When: Thursday, February 12, 2026, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom; Reception to follow at Café Carnegie

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Joanne Jones-Rizzi, Vice President of Science, Equity, and Education at the Science Museum of Minnesota, is a celebrated leader in inclusive programming, anti-racist initiatives, and community engagement. Joanne will share insights from her career and her experience as one of the exhibition developers of the landmark exhibition, RACE: Are We So Different?

Please join us for a reception in Café Carnegie following the seminar.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Sign-up below to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

 

 

 

Upcoming R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars

Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series.

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R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: Chinese Oracle Bones, 3D Digitization, and Game Design

Talk: The Story of the Bones: Chinese Oracle Bones, 3D Digitization, and Game Design

Speakers: Jonathan Walton, Assistant Teaching Professor, Carnegie Mellon University;  Dr. Gang Liu, Teaching Professor of Chinese Studies, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Carnegie Mellon University

When: Monday, January 12, 2026, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Dr. Jonathan Walton and Dr. Gang Liu of Carnegie Mellon University will discuss their project performing 3D scanning of ancient Chinese oracle bones to make virtual models for use by researchers, students, and game users. Integrating game design elements, the project aims to create a unified digital platform that makes these ancient artifacts and related collections from around the world accessible and engaging for modern users.   

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Sign-up below to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

 

Upcoming R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars

Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series.

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R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: Insect Double Feature

Dr. David Wagner, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Connecticut, is a world authority on insect biodiversity, insect conservation, and matters of global change. On December 1, he will give two separate talks at Carnegie Museum of Natural History: one discussing the global decline of insect populations, and a second talk focusing on caterpillars and their role in ecology and evolutionary biology. Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars, read on for full details and registration options for both talks.

Talk: Insect Declines in the Anthropocene

When: Monday, December 1, 2025, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

As the human population has expanded in the last century, global insect populations are declining at a concerningly rapid rate. Significant decreases in both species and populations of insects have been reported, thought to result from “a thousand cuts” including pesticide use, agricultural intensification, shifts in climate and human-induced changes to their native environments. Dr. David Wagner, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at University of Connecticut, is a world authority on insect biodiversity, insect conservation, and matters of global change. In recent years, he has become an expert on insect decline, publishing both academic and general public articles on the subject.

Sign-up below to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

 

 

 

 

Talk: Caterpillars: Their Use in Biosystematics, Diversity, and Ecology Studies

When: Monday, December 1, 2025, 4:00–5:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Dr. Wagner will highlight discoveries from five decades of biosystematic studies on Lepidoptera. This informal presentation will feature stunning images of caterpillars, their natural history, and how larval life history data has been used to answer big questions in ecology and evolutionary biology. Time allowing, he will provide a status update of a multi-volumed guide to the Caterpillars of Western North America (Princeton University Press).

Sign-up below to attend in person or click here to join us via Zoom. 

 

 

Upcoming R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars

Learn about scientific discoveries directly from the experts in the field. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s scientific research staff and invited speakers discuss their latest findings on numerous scientific topics at the R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar series.