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: Egypt on the Nile

Talk: Egypt on the Nile

Speaker: Dr. Lisa Haney

When: Thursday, May 13, 2027, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Egypt on the Nile, a new long-term exhibition at Carnegie Museum of Natural History explores the integral role of the environment in ancient Egyptian culture, daily life, religion, and funerary traditions. Come and learn from the exhibition’s curator about the history of this project and explore the nature-culture connections that form the foundations of ancient Egyptian culture.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Register here 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: Building Curies, a Uranium Fingerprint Library for Nuclear Forensics

Talk: Building Curies, a Uranium Fingerprint Library for Nuclear Forensics

Speaker: Dr. Tyler Spano,

When: Monday, September 14, 2026, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Nuclear forensics is exactly what it sounds like: think CSI: Crime Scene Investigation for radioactive materials. Nuclear forensics researchers seek to determine the origin and history (provenance) of nuclear materials found outside of regulatory control. Speaker Dr. Tyler Spano’s research involves looking for unique “fingerprints” in uranium materials that can give clues into what the sample is, where it may have come from, and what processes it has been through. CURIES (the Compendium of Uranium Raman and Infrared Experimental Spectra) serves as a “fingerprint” library. Using expert analysis in combination with machine learning, CURIES can be used to identify known and unknown nuclear materials.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Register here 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: The Power of Curiosity with Emily Graslie

Talk: R.W. Moriarty Science Seminar: The Power of Curiosity with Emily Graslie

Speaker: Emily Graslie

When: Thursday, October 15, 2026, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Following her curiosity has taken Emily Graslie everywhere from deep into the bat caves of Kenya to exploring the wonder within our own backyards on her educational channel, “https://www.youtube.com/user/thebrainscoopThe Brain Scoop.” Join us to learn about her journey as a science communicator on YouTube and how that experience led her to become a trailblazer as the first woman to host a science program for PBS in Prehistoric Road Trip. Plus, learn why fostering inquisitive minds across America is now more critical than ever before.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Register here 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: What Migrating Birds Risk and Need

Talk: What Migrating Birds Risk and Need

Speaker: Dr. Lucas DeGroote

When: Thursday, November 5, 2026, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

North American bird populations have declined sharply, and migration is one of the most dangerous parts of a bird’s life. But birds are hard to protect if we do not know where they find food and shelter during migration, or which window designs actually keep them safe. In this talk, Dr. DeGroote will discuss his research tracing the journey of migrating landbirds across forests, fields, and built environments to find practical ways to reduce risk. He will show that some species rely on especially limited habitats, and that high-contrast window markers offer a reliable tool for preventing collisions.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Register here 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: Glimpses of the Realm of Tiny Blind Beetles

Talk: Glimpses of the Realm of Tiny Blind Beetles

Speaker: Dr. Curt Harden

When: Monday, December 7, 2026, 12:00–1:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

Dr. Curt Harden, Entomologist with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and a Research Associate with Carnegie Museum of Natural History, will give an overview of the surprising diversity of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) hidden in shallow subterranean habitats in Appalachia. Studying this fauna requires specialized techniques both to collect and study the beetles, due to their cryptic habitats and small size. Dr. Harden will share how his personal journey to acquire and refine these techniques has entwined with his professional journey and the discoveries made along the way.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Register here to attend in person or . 

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: The Deep Time of Renaissance Painting

Talk: The Deep Time of Renaissance Painting

Speaker: Dr. Chris Nygren

When: Thursday, January 14, 2027, 6:00–7:00 p.m.

Where: Art Theater and online via Zoom

Tickets: Free. Museum admission not required.

In 1530 the Venetian painter Sebastiano del Piombo (1485–1547) chose an unusual surface for a painting of Christ: a large hewn stone. Treating the stone as a portable canvas, Sebastiano created a work of art that his contemporaries viewed as “almost eternal” and initiated 150 years of a flourishing practice of painting on stone. From slate, to lapis lazuli, to amethyst, painters made dizzying works atop all sorts of stones. Blending ecocriticism with art history, this talk examines the ecological, religious, and cultural contexts in which this idiosyncratic genre emerged and unearths the hidden labor of stone masons, international and colonial circuits of exchange, and the philosophy of the time.

Registration is required to attend R.W. Moriarty Science Seminars. Register here 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.