Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences (CPNAS)

25/02/2026

Photos by Bruce Guthrie from our DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous program on Feb 19, 2026, looking at the role of art, design, and imagination in the human exploration of Mars. Thanks to all who joined us for this fun evening!

12/02/2026

Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln were both born on February 12, 1809, an extraordinary coincidence linking two figures who profoundly shaped the modern world. Darwin revolutionized science with his theory of evolution by natural selection, transforming humanity's understanding of life on Earth. Meanwhile, Lincoln led the United States through the Civil War and abolished slavery, fundamentally redefining the nation’s moral and political landscape. He also signed the charter establishing the NAS in 1863!

During tours of the NAS Building, you can find various tributes to both figures:

Charles Darwin is honored with:
-Bronze work by Lee Lawrie on the Constitution Avenue front doors.
-A bronze bust by William Couper in the Rotunda Gallery.
-The painting On the Origin of Species (after Darwin) (2008-2009) by Tim Rollins + K.O.S., also in the Rotunda Gallery.

Abraham Lincoln is depicted in a mural by Albert Herter in the Board Room, illustrating him signing the charter that established the National Academy of Sciences on March 3, 1863.

27/01/2026

✨ Symmetries & Broken Symmetries is on view now through July 3 in the NAS Upstairs Gallery. The exhibition can be seen during NAS Building tours and select special events.

This exhibition brings together artist Shanthi Chandrasekar and physicist-writer Michael Albrow in a shared exploration of how order and chaos in the universe echo across art, science, and human understanding. Through parallel and complementary practices, drawing, painting, and writing enter into dialogue, offering multiple ways of perceiving the cosmos.

The show features 18 drawings and paintings by Chandrasekar, paired with selected writings by Albrow.

Chandrasekar, who grew up in an Indian atomic energy research community shaped by both advanced science and ancient cultural traditions, draws inspiration from kolam — a South Indian practice of geometric rice-flour patterns created on thresholds. Kolam embodies impermanence, resilience, and cosmic order. In her work, structured grids and symmetries gradually shift, fracture, or dissolve, revealing hidden layers and new possibilities. These transformations resonate with ideas in physics and cosmology, where symmetry — and its breaking — shapes reality from the quantum to the cosmic scale.

Albrow’s writings reflect on symmetry as a foundation of physics and its breaking as the source of complexity, life, and an evolving universe.

Together, they invite viewers to reflect on how pattern, balance, and rupture shape both the cosmos and human consciousness.

12/12/2025

Enjoy these photos of our screening and discussion of OUT OF PLAIN SIGHT last night in the Fred Kavli Auditorium!

08/12/2025

Take a one-hour tour of the historic NAS Building with one of our wonderful docents! Tours are offered several times a week and we currently have dates available through January 26. Reserve your spot today!

Take a one-hour guided tour of the beautiful National Academy of Sciences Building.

05/12/2025

We're enjoying the first snow of the season!

03/11/2025

We had a great time on Thursday exploring the art and science of health as part of our ongoing DC Art Science Evening Rendezvous series. Enjoy these event photos by Bruce Guthrie.

31/10/2025

Something spooky for Halloween!

Some say the NAS building has been cursed from the start—see what you think. Just a week before its April 28, 1924, opening, architect Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue died suddenly at 54. He had visited the site the day before and was to turn 55 on opening day. Known for the Nebraska State Capitol, West Point Chapel, and Balboa Park, Goodhue's later fascination with Egyptology shaped the NAS building's design. His death left major works like Yale's Sterling Library and the LA Public Library unfinished.

We know of at least two deaths that have taken place in the NAS building, both around the time it opened. In May 1923, while the building was under construction, carpenter Clement Dant fell from the scaffolding while working on the dome and died at the scene. Then, on opening day, physicist Ernest Fox Nichols collapsed mid-lecture on "the physics of light," dying at 54-the same age as Goodhue.

Two decades later, during WWIl, longtime Academy staffer Albert Barrows died. Fulfilling his wish, his ashes were scattered on the front lawn by his supervisor, NAS member Ross G. Harrison-at night, under cover of darkness. Harrison used a flashlight, but DC was under strict blackout orders to protect against potential attacks. A passerby saw the flashlight and called the police.

Photo: NAS Building © 2012 Maxwell MacKenzie.

23/10/2025

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution and it is open during the government shutdown. New dates for guided tours of the NAS Building have just been announced! Reserve your spot now for tours taking place from October through December. On Halloween, discover some of the building’s spookier stories, and in December, enjoy festive holiday decorations. https://tournasbuilding.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB

01/08/2025

Announcing “The Eureka Moment: Unveiling Metaphors of Discovery,” an exhibition on view through May 29, 2026, in the West Gallery of the NAS Building.

It explores how metaphors serve as powerful tools in both art and science, helping us see the familiar in new ways and fostering discovery. It features 16 works from the NAS art collection that highlight the creative intersection of art, science, engineering, and medicine.

Artists featured include Mia Brownell, Lia Halloran, Jeffrey Kent, Rebecca Rutstein, Adrien Segal, Katherine Sherwood, Ben Shneiderman, and Mike and Doug Starn. The exhibition is viewable during guided tours of the NAS Building.

Pictured:
Mike and Doug Starn, Structure of Thought #15, 2001-2005, MIS and Lysonic inkjet prints on Thai mulberry, Gampi, and tissue papers with wax, encaustic, and varnish, 34 x 40 inches.

01/08/2025

Read a feature story about our new guided tour program and join us for a tour of the historic NAS Building! Sign up for a tour here: https://tournasbuilding.eventbrite.com/?aff=FB

Guided tours of the historic National Academy of Sciences building offer a treasure trove of architecture, art, and — of course — stories of science, scientists, and luminaries who have passed through the building over the past 100 years.

Learn more from our new feature story: https://ow.ly/RoXf50WxxUx