More Than a Lecture: A Look Inside Caltech's Watson Series
The Earnest C. Watson Lecture Series, which has connected the public with groundbreaking Caltech research and innovation for more than 100 years, returns in November for the 2026–27 season.
"Throughout its history, the Watson Lectures have provided a unique opportunity to make the ambitious and innovative discoveries of Caltech researchers more accessible to the curious and science-minded public," says Matt Thomson, professor of computational biology, a Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, and chair of the Institute Programs Committee, which oversees the Watson Lectures. "Caltech is a small institution, but the questions we're chasing aren't small at all. At these lectures, we invite the greater Los Angeles community to engage with the cutting-edge research happening in their backyard."
Watson Lecture registrations routinely reach capacity, reflecting the Southern California region's appetite to explore the science behind the headlines, like understanding what caused the Eaton fire's toxic aftermath or learning how NASA's Curiosity rover is rewriting the story of Mars. In the 2025–26 season, attendees also had the chance to learn how tabletop laser experiments can probe why the universe is made almost entirely of matter, and to hear how battery chemistry is being reimagined with more abundant, sustainable materials.
Like the attendees, Watson speakers come away from the experience changed too. Stepping in front of a packed Beckman Auditorium offers researchers a chance to talk about their work outside the language of grant proposals and peer review. In some cases, they can even see in real time how much it means to the people whose lives it has the potential to impact.
"I am impressed we attracted over 700 people," says François Tissot, professor of geochemistry and a Heritage Medical Research Institute Investigator, whose January lecture examined the toxic legacy of the Eaton fire. "My youngest daughter told my wife while waiting in line to enter the auditorium, 'Wait, all these people are waiting to see my papa?' She couldn't believe it until it started. The crowd was incredibly receptive and connected. Weeks earlier, I was still wondering how to straddle the sensitive line with the fire being such a close-to-home topic. I am very glad to see that, in the end, the material resonated so positively with the audience. That was, without a doubt, one of the most unique experiences I've had giving a presentation and connecting with an audience."
Before every lecture, the speaker's lab provides science demonstrations and activities in front of Beckman Auditorium to help attendees delve into the subject. "It's always heartwarming to see people want to learn more about science, be it from learning about battery recycling to seeing potassium explode, especially because when we work on things day in and day out and are sometimes faced with more failure than success, we tend to forget that what we're doing is actually really cool," says Naiara A. Munich, a graduate student who led Watson demonstrations on battery chemistry. "Doing this kind of outreach can relight the passion for us students while also getting other people excited."
During the preshow activities, attendees also enjoy food and drink from local vendors while perusing a selection of books for sale from Vroman's Bookstore. Attendees who attend multiple Watson Lectures are eligible to receive Watson-branded swag.
The series also reaches local schools. Through the Junior Watson program, groups of up to 10 high-achieving high school students visit campus on lecture days for an afternoon and evening built around the speaker's research—touring the presenter's lab, meeting with admissions counselors, and sharing dinner with graduate students at the Athenaeum before taking their seats for the talk. Since launching in 1998, the program has introduced hundreds of local 10th and 11th graders—many visiting Caltech's campus for the first time—to cutting-edge research and to the idea that a top-tier research university is part of their community and, potentially, their future.
Visit the Watson Lecture Series webpage for the latest updates on the upcoming season. Subscribe to the Caltech Events newsletter to be the first to know when event registration opens.