National Science Foundation Lecture Series visits BYU campus March 26 - BYU News Skip to main content
Intellect

National Science Foundation Lecture Series visits BYU campus March 26

A National Science Foundation Distinguished Lecture Series focusing on the exploration of new discoveries on the ocean floor will visit Brigham Young University Friday, March 26.

Charles Langmuir, a professor of geochemistry at Harvard University, will give two lectures, both of which are free and open to the public.

The first, titled "Historic Arctic Cruise Yields New Constraints on Ocean Ridge Formation," will take place at 11 a.m. in C295 Eyring Science Center.

The lecture, geared primarily toward the science community, will discuss the findings of a 2001 cruise to the Arctic Ocean, where the first extensive investigation of the Arctic mid-ocean Gakkel Ridge.

The second lecture, titled "Is Intelligent Life a Natural Consequence of Planetary Evolution?", will take place at 7 p.m. in 251 N. Eldon Tanner Building. Refreshments will follow.

The second lecture, written for a general audience, will explore findings from the ocean floor that have expanded scientists' views of the evolution and role of intelligent life.

Over the last two decades, Langmuir has explored the seafloor through 20 research cruises and has discovered hydrothermal sites in three ocean basins, as well as co-leading the first investigation of the Arctic Ocean ridge system.

Langmuir has been at Harvard since 2002, after having worked for 20 years at Columbia University. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Geochemical Society.

For more information, contact Mike Dorais of the BYU Geology Department at (801) 422-1347.

Writer: Thomas Grover

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

BYU landscaping students dig their way to 10th national championship

April 03, 2025
BYU’s landscaping team is the best in the field, literally. While most national championships are won on the court or the gridiron, this one was claimed with pruned shrubs, expertly placed pavers, and top-tier irrigation systems.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

Forum: Religion’s surprising impact on academic success

March 25, 2025
“I know that your faith isn’t something you practice only on Sundays — it influences your daily decisions, your work ethic and your vision for the future,” expressed Ilana M. Horwitz in her forum address at Brigham Young University.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

BYU professor and former Utah Poet Laureate recognizes the sacred in everyday life

March 24, 2025
A Q&A with BYU professor of English Lance Larsen, who has been writing poetry for four decades. His poems are regularly published in leading literary journals, and he has received prestigious awards, including the Pushcart Prize and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. From 2012-17 he served as Utah Poet Laureate, advocating for the arts throughout the state. He recently published his sixth book of poetry — "Making a Kingdom of It."
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= overrideTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= overrideTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=