American Philosophical Society

10/13/2026

He’s best remembered as a Founding Father, but did you know James Madison also helped establish meteorology in the United States? Tune into the latest episode of Useful Knowledge to hear from geophysicist Marcia McNutt about “citizen science” and modern scientific networks.

He’s best remembered as a Founding Father, but did you know that James Madison also helped establish meteorology in the United States? From his observations of weather conditions and crop cycles to notes on the wheat-destroying Hessian fly, Madison’s records speak to the potential and limits of ...

10/12/2026

Indigenous peoples of North America practiced diplomacy long before the establishment of the United States government. In this week’s Meeting Talk Monday from Robert J. Miller, learn how Indigenous confederations and customs influenced the United States Constitution.

Watch the full talk here: https://bit.ly/4yEuM5R

10/09/2026

👻Calling young ghosts and ghouls! Join us for trick-or-treating at the APS on October 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in partnership with Halloween in the Historic District. Start at the Philadelphia Visitor Center at 6th and Market for a treat bag and map! 🍬🐈‍⬛

🎃 Learn more at: https://bit.ly/4zk50nk

10/09/2026

APS fellows and grantees’ work doesn’t stop in our reading room. Last year, Sławomir Łukasiewicz joined us as a Franklin Research grantee working on a project titled “Ulam Brothers’ Exile Experience and Soviet Studies in the Shadow of the Atomic Bomb.” Read his recent interview with NYPL The New York Public Library for an update on his work. 📚

https://on.nypl.org/4e3zotF

Sławomir Łukasiewicz is a professor at the John Paul II Catholic University in Lublin, Poland.

10/08/2026

Congratulations to anthropologist Tricia McAnany (APS 2024), who has received a 2026–27 Fulbright Belize Scholar Award with Galen University, Belize. McAnany will spend her time in Belize teaching a hands-on course in cultural heritage. 🌎

https://unc.live/4xTacNB

This year, nine UNC-Chapel Hill faculty and staff members were recognized with Fulbright U.S. Scholar Awards — more than any previous year. Every year, Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board selects American scholars to conduct research or teach abroad for two to … Read more

10/07/2026

Join us this Saturday for Neighborhood Fun Day: APS Museum’s 25th Birthday Celebration! Welcome in the fall weather with free hands-on activities, games, and snacks for everyone. Stop for any amount of time throughout the program. 🍂

https://bit.ly/3TA0i5C

Join us on Saturday, October 10, for Neighborhood Fun Day: APS Museum’s 25th Birthday Celebration! This free program will take place from 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. in the Jefferson Garden, located at 105 South 5th Street.Join us as we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the American Philosophical Soc...

10/07/2026

“A change in Opinion is the necessary effect of succession in the acquisition of new ideas, & I am disposed to believe that no new truth can ever be acquired but at the expense of an Old error.”

Since 1743, APS Members have sustained its mission—speaking out with conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are inherently in the best interest of the public.

10/06/2026

“In 2025, I developed a project with a dual objective: on the one hand, to create an online archive of narratives collected in Mixtec language during my graduate studies (2016–25); on the other hand, to install a system of QR code panels in Mixtepec so that residents could access the voices of the elders and the history of the community,” writes María Angélica García Hernández, former DKS Fellow at the APS. Read her full blog now.

Leer en español“Tza ntzini ta'an, ra ta vatzu ra kitzu ntato'on.”“We have a bond now, when you come back, come see me so we can talk.”

10/05/2026

Don’t miss our next Indigenous Learning Forum this Thursday, October 8 via Zoom. Join us in welcoming Carolina Rodríguez Alzza, discussing “Returning Archival Heritage: Iskonawa Cultural Heritage in Archives and Its Potential for Cultural and Linguistic Revitalization in the Peruvian Amazon.”

https://bit.ly/3VKsbsd

The second 2026–2027

10/05/2026

CRISPR can help locate and edit mutated genes in the hopes of eradicating disease. But what of the ethical considerations? In this week’s Meeting Talk Monday, lawyer and educator Patricia A. King considers this technology and suggests a broader discussion of its ethics. 🧬

Watch the full talk here: https://bit.ly/3U0wsHC