National Geographic Live! at The Field Museum National Geographic Live events entertain and inspire with captivating stories from the front lines of exploration, illustrated with award-winning photography and video. Each evening concludes with a lively question and answer session and an opportunity to meet the presenter in the lobby. Upcoming Lectures: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 7:30 p.m. From the Front Line of Global Health Karen Kasmauski, Photographer For 20 years, Karen Kasmauski has been National Geographic’s go-to photographer for large-scale global health stories—including pandemic disease, human migration, obesity, and Alzheimer’s. She is known for presenting heartwarming tales of health care workers around the world who summon creativity, original thinking, and cultural sensitivity to address the urgent needs of communities often embroiled in crisis. In her latest book, Nurse: A World of Care, Kasmauski shares moving stories about the heroic efforts of community medical professionals—“frontline soldiers” in the war against suffering and disease—from the frozen rivers of Alaska to the slums of Nairobi to the hamlets of Appalachia. In this era of great unrest and sweeping change, Kasmauski’s stories of hope strike a resonant chord. Tuesday, December 8, 2009 7:30 p.m. Polar Obsession Paul Nicklen, Photographer Paul Nicklen has published nine feature stories in National Geographic since 2003, making a huge imprint in the world of natural history photography by documenting wildlife’s struggle with rapid environmental change—from the southern oceans to the high Arctic. Growing up in a small Inuit community on Baffin Island, he learned to travel the ice and track its wildlife. Nicklen takes his audience underwater to see stunning, close-up images of leopard seals, whales, walruses, polar bears, and narwhals; and over the ice to look at grizzly bears, caribou, foxes, and more. In November 2009, National Geographic will publish Polar Obsession, a major new book featuring his work from both Antarctica and the Arctic. Join us for an evening exploring the breathtaking beauty of the polar regions and the impact of climate change on their fragile ecosystems. 3-Part Spring 2010 Series Tuesday, February 2, 2010 7:30 p.m. Africa: Through the Lens Michael Davie, Filmaker/Journalist An Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and journalist, Zimbabwe-born Michael Davie has immersed himself in the wildness and unpredictability of Africa—from the front lines of war in Liberia, to the battle to save the Congo’s endangered mountain gorillas, to the prison choirs of South Africa. In his deeply personal account Davie evokes the brutality, heartache and beauty of this misunderstood continent, with one goal in mind: to raise awareness about the courage and humanity he has encountered amongst the people of his homeland. From a place where there are few easy answers, Davie asks the tough questions and gives a voice to the Africa we rarely hear from. Enriching his presentation with tales of adventure, extraordinary personal encounters, and riveting film clips, Davie will appeal to all those wanting to understand Africa today and its role in our future. Tuesday, March 9, 2010 7:30 p.m. Waking the Baby Mammoth Daniel Fisher, Paleontologist In May 2007, a reindeer herder in Siberia made an incredible discovery: the almost perfectly preserved body of a baby mammoth, which had been protected by permafrost for some 40,000 years since its death. As documented in the May 2009 National Geographic and in the National Geographic Channel film Waking the Baby Mammoth, one of the first scientists invited to study this invaluable find was Daniel Fisher, a University of Michigan paleontologist. Having spent over 30 years studying the giant mammals of the Pleistocene epoch, the opportunity was life-changing for Fisher. “Suddenly,” he recalls, “what I’d been struggling to visualize for so long was lying right there for me to touch.” Complementing The Field Museum’s exhibition Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age (opening March 5), Fisher will tell Lyuba’s story, explaining what this treasured ambassador from the Ice Age can teach us about her life and times. Tuesday, April 13, 2010 7:30 p.m. The Big Thaw James Balog, Photographer/Geologist For over 25 years, James Balog has consistently broken new ground in the art of photographing nature. Famed Time photographer James Nacthwey wrote about Balog’s images, “Each new series represents a quantum leap in creativity, which takes us deeper into the ultimate mystery of humanity’s relationship to the natural world.” A few years ago, Balog launched the Extreme Ice Survey, documenting the rapid changes in the Earth’s glaciers due to global warming. The compelling images captured by the survey’s cameras were published in National Geographic and in Balog’s 2008 book, Extreme Ice Now, and the project was featured in a recent PBS television special. Returning from his latest season of fieldwork, Balog presents dramatic new images of our planet in flux, and delivers an eloquent and empowering testimony to the reality of climate change, inspiring his audience to make a difference. PURCHASE TICKETS: Spring 2010 3-Part series Single Event Tickets: 12/8/09 - Paul Nicklen, Photographer 2/2/10 - Michael Davie, Filmaker/Journalist 3/9/10 - Daniel Fisher, Paleontologist 4/13/10 - James Balog, Photographer/Geologist Lecture Adult   Pre-Registration Required