The Watson Lectures
For more than 100 years, the Watson Lectures have brought the wonder of Caltech research and discovery to the public.
The Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series began in 1922. Originally known as the "Friday Evening Demonstration Lectures", the series was started by Earnest C. Watson, a professor of physics at Caltech from 1919 to 1959, in order to share modern scientific advances with the public and foster a greater appreciation for the impact of fundamental research. For the talks, Watson would stand in front of a packed lecture hall to deliver his famed "liquid-air" demonstration, in which he would open a bottle of air that had been cooled to minus 300 degrees Fahrenheit, and the contents would appear to "boil" out of the bottle and engulf Watson in white fumes. While Watson's famed demonstrations would no longer meet current safety guidelines, the spirit of his talks and his interest in inspiring an appreciation and understanding of science remains and has motivated generations of faculty to share the details of their work.
Eventually renamed in his honor, the Watson Lectures continue to spotlight pathbreaking Caltech research.
Upcoming Lecture
Join us for the 2026-27 season of the Watson lectures with speaker Katie Bouman, Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Electrical Engineering and Astronomy; Rosenberg Scholar; Investigator, Heritage Medical Research Institute.
More details to be released soon.
In the meantime, we invite you to enjoy past Watson Lectures on
Caltech's YouTube channel
.