December 28, 29, 30: Werner Herzog’s “Cave of Forgotten Dreams” Get ready for a new year by accompnying Werner Herzog into a very old cave, site of some of the first known works of human art. And such art! We’re tempted to say “the first was the best.”

January 12: The Power of Objects White Wolf James (Pomo/Cherokee), assistant curator of Native American art, history and culture at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, talks about the meanings of natural and man-made objects in traditional Native American cultures.

January 19: Climate Change and the Future of Ice at the Poles What can a disastrous Antarctic mission from 1914 tell us about life in the 21st century? A lot, thinks Prof. Paul Shepson of Purdue. He is a leading researcher of the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, and he’ll use Earnest Shackleton’s expedition in Antarctica to show us why we’ll miss all that ice some day.

January 25: Dan Ferber on the Impacts of Climate Change on Global Health Much of the public debate about “global warming” has focused on air temperatures, melting glaciers and slowly rising sea levels, but climate change is already harming the health of people around the world. Award-winning journalist Dan Ferber specializes in putting a human face on groundbreaking stories on science, technology, health and the environment.

January 26: Geological Explorations in Antarctica We have so much yet to learn about Antarctica’s geologic history. Dr. Kathy Licht describes the fundamental questions being asked, and how research conducted right here at IUPUI is helping to answer them. She will also share photographs from several field seasons spent on the icy continent. The experience of living in a modern Antarctic field camp, with its stunning landscape and harsh physical conditions plays a major part of any scientific expedition.

February 16: Voyages to the Antarctic—Seasons of Life on the Ice Antarctica experiences dramatic changes with the seasons; the difference between winter and summer is like night and day — literally. All of the dramatic environmental swings profoundly influence Antarctica’s inhabitants. Dr. Anthony Rathburn will highlight dynamic biological and geological aspects of the Antarctic, and share images of wildlife and scenery as seen from land and sea.

February 17: “Displaced and Barely Visible: An Archaeologist Looks at Homelessness” IUPUI Anthropology professor Larry Zimmermansays: Archaeology is about how people get, use, and dispose of material culture, not just about life in the distant past.  Doing an archaeology of “ten minutes ago”  may actually provide clues that can improve  the lives of homeless people “living rough.”

February 21: Mexico Mexico’s border with Central America, as well as the border it shares with the U.S., has been a pathway for people, goods, crime and contraband in both directions. How can Mexico address these transborder challenges? What is the future of Mexico’s relations with its northern and southern neighbors? How will Mexico’s foreign relations affect its domestic politics?

February 24: “Difference, Desire, and Small Things: The Archaeology of Victorian Bric-a-Brac” Professor Paul Mullins, Anthropology prof at IUPUI says: Parlors throughout the 19th-century Atlantic World were flooded with modest decorative goods like figurines, and a vast range of American and British homes were filled with ceramic animals, famous people, and artistic motifs.  This discussion examines these goods from a range of households often considered “outside” consumer society.

March 6: State of the oceans The world’s oceans are essential to life on earth, and are tremendously sensitive to global climate change. What are the consequences of climate change on oceanic factors like biodiversity, sea levels and extreme weather systems? How can the U.S. and its international partners address the emerging challenges to this shared resource?

March 27: Energy geopolitics The energy markets have been shaken by the instability of Middle East oil and the vulnerability of nuclear power. Moreover, developing countries like China are becoming bigger energy consumers, while energy producers like Russia see the opportunity to widen their influence. In this changed landscape, how will the U.S.’s energy needs affect its relations with other nations?

March 29: Wes Jackson — Consulting the Genius of the Place Wes Jackson is President of The Land Institute. His most recent work, Consulting the Genius of the Place: An Ecological Approach to a New Agriculture, was published by Counterpoint Press in 2010.