Former Smithsonian Under Secretary for Science, David Evans, periodically spoke on the importance of science at the Smithsonian Institution. Here are his three presentations from the Smithsonian Science Lecture Series 2006:

“Are we packaging sunlight from cucumbers?” July 21, 2006

Dr. Evans takes off from Gulliver’s Travels to discuss the value and importance of basic research in the history of the Smithsonian.

“From Rocks for Jocks to Physics for Poets: What Good is Science Education?” July 27, 2006

Dr. Evans discusses how the Smithsonian is helping bridge the achievement gap in science education.

“The Nation’s Attic: Why Do We Keep All This Stuff Anyway? Does Anybody Ever Look at It?” August 18, 2006

Dr. Evans examines the collections of the National Museum of Natural History and discusses why they’re important in helping us understand the natural world.