History of the Talking Science Event

The Rockefeller University has a tradition of giving back to the community through education initiatives for New York area students and teachers. In addition to our many Science Outreach programs, we also host Talking Science, an annual event for high school students. Led by a member of Rockefeller's world-class faculty, Talking Science is designed to engage students – through interactive lectures and demonstrations – in an area of current research being conducted at the university.

Talking Science grew out of the Holiday Lecture on Science series, which was established in 1959 by Alfred E. Mirsky, a biochemist and Rockefeller University librarian. Dr. Mirsky modeled the lectures on a popular series of science talks for children pioneered in London in 1826 by Michael Faraday, who is considered to be one of the greatest experimenters in the history of science. Now in its 57th year, this annual event attracts over 450 high school students from across the tri-state area.